In 1860, spending winter on
the Riviera was very much a part of the Grand Tour.
The wealthy Dutchman, Hugh Hope Loudon, bought land on the
Cap and built a luxurious residence there. He commissioned
the architectural design from Charles Garner, architect of
the Paris Opera and the Monte Carlo Opera House. A great
lover of the Midi, he is quoted as saying: “I go to
Italy every year to absorb the many shades of colour there”.
He designed many villas from Menton to Bordighera “in
many golden forms” (Fouillon).
The building was completed in 1867 and named Eilenroc,
an anagram of Cornelie, Mr Loudon's wife. At this time,
the area around the villa was a wasteland.
Six years later, in 1873, the villa complete
with furniture was sold to James Wyllie, a wealthy Scotsman
who had just returned from India. He employed celebrated
gardeners such as Ringuisen to create a wonderful garden
using lush vegetation. This was when the garden became well-known,
and was a popular place to visit.
James Wyllie died in 1908. He had taken Antibes to his heart,
and made many art donations to the town, as well as leaving
a considerable amount to it in his will. Sir Coleridge Kennard
then became the owner of the property. Mr and Mrs Sudreau
succeeded him.
Commodore Louis Dudley and Mrs Helen Beaumont
In 1927, the villa with some of the furniture became the
property of Mr Beaumont and his wife.
Louis Dudley Beaumont was an exceedingly wealthy American
businessman who had just married the young soprano, Helen,
in Europe. A keen pilot and accomplished sportsman, he was
also a great philanthropist. His beautiful, sociable wife
became involved in charity work.
The couple commissioned young contemporary artists to restore
and decorate the house, with a summer room in pure Art Deco.
The glorious collection of 18th century furniture and paintings
were then installed (unfortunately they disappeared in the
Second World War).
Jacques Greber, landscape architect and consultant to the
Great Universal Exhibition in New York was commissioned by
Mr Beaumont to design the vast park of 11 hectares and restore
it to its former glory.
The Beaumonts had many homes around the world, but were extremely
fond of Eilenroc. They threw many fine parties, and the rich
and beautiful of the French Riviera attended, arriving in
their luxurious cars.
In 1982, Mrs Beaumont bequeathed the property
to Antibes Juan-les-Pins
The bequest had many conditions, the most important being:
-the creation of a Mrs L.D.Beaumont Foundation to manage
the trust and conserve the historic value of the area
-use of the villa by the municipality for exhibitions, receptions
for the general public and visiting dignitaries
-the opening of the gardens to the public
Antibes Juan-les-Pins
council undertook a vast programme of restoration of the
building, furniture and gardens.
On 20 September 1985 the first official reception was held
for the Friends of Antibes Association. Eilenroc became
the Villa of Honour of the town.
On 7 June 1986 Mr Charles Pasqua, Minister of the Interior
and Mayor Pierre Merli inaugurated the Beaumont Foundation
in the presence of many dignitaries.
6 February, 1988, was the date that Antibes learned of the
death of Mrs Beaumont in Monte Carlo, aged 93 years.
In March 1988, Mr Pierre Merli made the decision
to open the gardens of Villa Eilenroc to the public, under
the auspices of the Beaumont Foundation.
In 1998, at the request of Mayor Leonetti, the municipal
council voted unanimously for enlargement of public access
to the gardens, and to the villa. The Eco-Museum project
was started, as well as reconstruction of the garden using
horticultural methods and plants from the 20s. “Cailletiers”,
or Antibes olive trees were planted, and the villa was restored
in order to meet regulations to allow public access.
In the year 2000, sixty olive trees, representing children
born during the year, were planted. Three years later, a
rose garden with 1,000 plants was started on the same area
using varieties currently cultivated on the Cote d'Azur.
In 2004, to bring the area in conformity with the wishes
of the Beaumont Foundation, the Eco-Museum was created and
the rose garden and olive grove were completed.
Since the bequest ... The villa has been the venue for many important events, such as Music
at the Heart, Fats Domino concert etc.
Famous films have been shown there:
-1985 “Under the Cherry Moon”with Prince, Warner Bros Production.
-1997 “One chance in two” by Patrice Leconte, with Jean-Paul
Belmondo, Alain Delon and Vanessa Paradis.
-1998 “The Kidnappers” with Elie Kakou and Elodie Bouchez.
-2002 “Dangerous Liaisons” by Josée Dayan for TF1
with Catherine Deneuve, Rupert Everett and Nastassia Kinsky.
Many advertisements have also been filmed in this magic
spot for companies such as Renault, Ford, Chanel, Swatch,
as well as video clips including “Khéops” with
singer Akhénaton and JAM.
In accord with Mrs Beaumont's
wishes, Antibes Juan-les-Pins municipality receives VIPs
at Villa Eilenroc.
Guided
visits every Wednesday 9.00 to 12.00
and 13.30 to 17.00 from September Information on 04 93 67 74 33
