VILLA AND GARDENS EPHRUSSI DE ROTHSCHILD
The Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild is one of the most beautiful on the French Riviera. Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, one of the most elegant and affluent seaside resorts, was chosen in 1905 by Baroness Béatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild as the site for her ‘architectural folly’. Set against the backdrop of the Mediterranean, it is surrounded by nine magnificent gardens featuring patios, waterfalls, ponds, flowerbeds and shaded paths...
Gardens of the world
French Garden
The French garden dominates all the others, due to its size and location. It is situated directly in line with the Villa. From the building, the view is magnificent, framed by the Temple of Love. The slope of the water staircase has been specially designed to create a white reflection on the water – 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 ponds. The lawns, adorned with classic fire pots and large vases from the Italian Renaissance, lounge in perfect arrangement. On the Levant terrace, the Catalan sculptures wait, serene, sure of their success with the visitor. Wonder in the face of a blooming and yet so structured nature.
The Spanish garden
Descending the zigzag steps from the main courtyard, visitors reach the Spanish Garden. Datura, jasmine, honeysuckle exhale their intoxicating scents. Aranjuez isn’t far away… At the top of these steps, a grotto lies hidden behind the
pink marble columns. At its centre stands the Fountain of the Dolphins, which feeds the canal that runs all the way to the foot of the pergola. A timeless break, in the shade of the columns.
The Florentine Garden
Beyond the pool and the pergola, the Florentine garden and a new universe. In its center, a horseshoe staircase frames a rock cave. Behind the philodendrons and water hyacinths, a marble ephebe looks away from the panorama.
The stone garden
Following the Florentine path, lined with cypress trees, visitors come upon a carefully curated collection of works of art from various origins and periods. Beneath the camphor tree, the baroness has arranged in the open air arches, fountains, capitals, bas-reliefs from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, monstrous gargoyles, stone grotesques and Provençal gnomes… all having escaped from the Villa.
The Japanese garden
The Japanese garden ‘Cho-Seki-Tei’ – which means ‘a garden where one quietly listens to the gentle sound of the waves at dusk’ – immerses visitors in an atmosphere of tranquillity and serenity. Designed and created by Professor Fukuhara, this garden features a pavilion, traditional ponds, a bridge and lanterns, evoking over a thousand years of Japanese tradition.
The exotic garden
The exotic garden is the kingdom of cacti and succulents. Alone or in tight groups, they seem to defy the blue of the sky.
The final bouquet of these fireworks is the rose garden. Several varieties of Béatrice’s favorite flower perfume this distant piece of garden. A secluded spot, with its hexagonal temple, at the centre of which stands a deity, symbolising the spring.
Not to be missed either, the Provençal garden on the east side, as well as the Sèvres garden which completes the visit with the tea room.
Gardens of the Villa Ephrussi Rothschild
06230 Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat
Tel : 04 93 01 45 90
message@villa-ephrussi.com
