Mandelieu-La Napoule : Make your stay on the French Riviera full of pure emotions
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The Belle-Époque Tourist Route
Excerpt from the municipal records of Mandelieu-La Napoule on 2 June 1901

 

"The Mayor informs the Town Council of the completion of the grandiose strategic road of 'La Nouvelle Corniche' along the tranquil blue sea from La Napoule to Rocher Notre-Dame in the territory of the Commune; the new road winds amid the balsamic fragrances of pine, mimosa, myrtle, roses, carnations, evoking eternal springtime; this is the most splendid road on the enchanting coast so aptly named Côte d'Azur ".

This marked the birth of 'Corniche de l'Estérel' , later renamed Corniche d'Or (golden cornice road) between St-Raphaël (Var) and La Napoule (Alpes-Maritimes) officially inaugurated over a century ago, on 11 April 1903 . This spectacular road offers unique vistas along its entire course. Cut into the slopes of the Estérel Massif overlooking the sea, it took advantage in many places of the layout of the railway. Very sinuous, cut into the bedrock, it is a long saunter between blue sky, red rocks and green Estérel.

 

Château Agecroft:
Known to Mandolocians as Château des Mineurs (Miners' Castle, since it used to belong to the mining company Les Houillères du Nord and was long used as a holiday centre for miners). Midway up Mont des Crêtes, it overlooks part of Vallon de la Rague as well as Rocher des Pendus on Promenade Hemingway.

Built between 1918 and 1920 by Harry Leland de Lengley, the Château is a large mediaeval-style red-stone structure with castellated walls flanked by two square towers. The view on the Bay of La Napoule from the Château is magnificent.

The estate covers 171 hectares, particularly enhanced by the surrounding vegetation. All around the Château, a splendid park was created and is cared for by two horticulturists from Golfe-Juan. It features trees from Africa, the Americas (from palm trees to cacti, succulent plants), orange trees, blue cypress trees from the Far East to such Mediterranean plants as rosemary, fig and cork oak trees, not to omit the rose garden.

 

Château de La Napoule and its Creators:
Built on the sea in 1387 by the Counts de Villeneuve, the old military stronghold of La Napoule is testimony to a turbulent past: invasions, pillaging, wars and revolutions.

The American billionaire Henry Clews, a painter and sculptor, acquired this ruined villa in 1917. He and his wife Marie rebuilt the structure from authentic remains, in particular the two towers, and transformed it along with its gardens in a dream site brimming with fantasy. The maxim 'Once upon a time' inscribed above the portal proclaims that it leads into a world of imagination whose walls are forever steeped in its creator's art, humour and fancy. Their romanticism and complicity pervade the entire Castle, from the gardens designed by Mary Clews with ponds and fountains, to the crypt in the mausoleum-garden where the couples are forever united. Henry Clews left a large part of his work there, a caricatural and classic style of sculpture omnipresent in the Castle and in his studio.

 

 

After his death in 1937, his wife Mary Clews pursued his mission and in 1951 founded the 'La Napoule Art Foundation Henry Clews Memorial' which attracts many young artists each year.
 

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Mandelieu-La Napoule - France : Make your stay on the French Riviera full of pure emotions...