Gardens of the Villa Ephrussi Rothschild

French Garden, Rose Garden

The Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild is one of the most beautiful on the French Riviera. A resort for all that Europe and North America have to offer as the most elegant and wealthy, Saint-Jean-Cap Ferrat was chosen in 1905 by Baroness Béatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild to build one of her " architectural follies. With the Mediterranean as its setting, it is surrounded by nine magnificent gardens adorned with patios, waterfalls, ponds, flowerbeds, shady paths and trees with species…

Gardens around the world

The formal French garden

The French garden dominates all the others. By its size and location. It is located in the direct extension of the Villa. From the building, the perspective is essential, magnificent, closed in its term by the temple of Love, inspiration of that of Trianon, dominates the cascade with degrees. Its slope has also been specially structured to give the water a white effect, the famous “water shawl” of the Orientals.

On the garden side, the place offers art lovers a unique view of the palazzino. In summer, lotuses and water lilies colonize the large pools. The lawns, adorned with classic fire pots and large Italian Renaissance vases, bask in a perfect arrangement. On the Levant terrace, the Catalan sculptures await, serene, sure of their success with the visitor. Wonder in the face of a blooming and yet so structured nature.

The Spanish garden

Going down the main steps from the main courtyard, the visitor reaches the Spanish garden. Datura, jasmine, honeysuckle exhale their heady scents. Aranjuez is not far… At the end of these stairs, a cave is hidden behind the pink marble columns. In the middle of the cave is the dolphin fountain. Thanks to it, the pool takes on its full importance in the decor and extends to the foot of the pergola. A timeless break, in the shade of the columns.

The Florentine garden

Beyond the basin and the pergola, the Florentine garden and a new change of universe. In its center, a horseshoe staircase frames a rocky cave. Behind the philodendrons and water hyacinths, a marble ephebe looks away from the panorama.

The stone garden

By following the Florentine path, lined with cypresses, the visitor arrives at the lapidary garden. A strange spectacle intrigues by a sought-after accumulation of works of art, from various origins and periods. Under the camphor tree, there is a disparate collection of works for which the baroness did not find a place inside the villa: arches, fountains, capitals, bas-reliefs from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, monstrous gargoyles , stone grotesques or Provençal gnomes.

The Japanese garden

The Japanese garden “Cho-Seki-Tei” – which means: “garden where one quietly listens to the pleasant sound of the waves at dusk”, immerses the visitor in a Zen world. Designed and created by Professor Shigeo Fukuhara, this Japanese garden features the traditional wooden pavilion, bridge, lanterns and basins that illustrate over a thousand years of Japanese tradition. Rest assured.

The exotic garden

The exotic garden is the kingdom of cacti and succulents. Alone or in tight groups, they seem to defy the blue. The final bouquet of this firework is the rose garden. Several varieties of Béatrice’s favorite flower perfume this distant piece of garden. A corner apart, with its small hexagonal temple. In the center of it, for only inhabitant, a divinity, allegory of the source.