Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild is a majestic garden which was constructed between 1905 and 1912 at Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat on the Mediterranean coastline of the south eastern corner of France by Baroness Béatrice de Rothschild. It is a beautiful garden built on the headland on the isthmus of Cap Ferrat . An example of exemplary human-made structure surrounded by breath-taking natural beauty. The building in itself is simply “Exquisite” with its antique furniture, rare porcelain collections and lavish green gardens which already have been notified to be the “Notable Gardens of France” by the French government. The atmosphere in the garden is so serene that it will hold your breath for a while and soothe your senses.

The gardens, total 9 in number surround the villa and put on a fantabulous display of “Flora” .Each of these is based on a different theme, ranging from Japanese to Spanish and from “Florentine” to “Exotic”, each surpassing the other in terms of natural beauty.

These gardens are the masterpieces of landscape architect Achille Duchêne. Conceived in the form of a ship, these gardens are result of inspiration drawn from the voyage made by Béatrice de Rothschild on the liner ‘Île de France (this is where the villa gets its name from). Back in that time, the gardeners appointed were to be dressed as sailors.

The area behind the villa is prominently covered by “Garden à la française”, the largest of the 9 gardens at the far end of which is a cypress covered hill that surrounds a replica garden of the Love temple at the Grand Trianon palace. The beautiful cascade of water, representing a stairway marks the slope below the temple and flows into the basin.

The Spanish garden is marked by shaded courtyard and fountain, not to forget the aromatic plants, catalan amphorae, and a gallo-roman bench. The Villefranche facing Florentine garden with a majestic stairway, an artificial grotto, and an ephebe of marble stands remarkably different. The Stone Garden (or the lapidary), beyond the Florentine garden, has within an exemplary assortment of ancient and medieval architectural elements. The Japanese garden, comprising of a wooden pavillion, remarkably features an exotic and rare collection of cactus plants.

The beautiful Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild leaves quite an impression upon a heart with admiration for beauty. If you plan for a visit, you ought to know about the famous hotels and restaurants nearby the villa. At a distance of 0.6 km are “Belle Aurore” and “Hotel Panoramic”. Also there are “La Reserve de Beaulieu”,” Hotel Marcellin” and “Hotel Le Havre Bleu” at about a distance of 1 km from the villa. And for the delight of your taste buds, there are alluring French cuisines at the nearby restaurants which comprise of names like “Le Cosmo”, “Hotel 29 Maison Du Seminiare” and “La Companette Restaurant”. So plan a holiday with friends or family, pack your bags and go witness the French amalgamation of architectural and natural beauty.

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