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| Beaulieu-sur-Mer |
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Beaulieu-sur-Mer (Population about 4,500)
Beaulieu is famous for its "mini climate," a few degrees warmer in winter than its neighbors, St. Jean-Cap-Ferrat and Villefranche-sur-Mer. Its local sea-side topography is sheltered by a low ring of mountains, the foothills of the Maritime Alps, which also are the dominant background terrain features of Villefranche and Cap Ferrat. In winter, however, the angle of the Sun and the protection of the nearby hills gives Beaulieu a slight edge in warmth, enough to insure its tourist development before Cap Ferrat, but subsequent to Villefranche, the oldest in terms of historical settlement.
The gentle slope of the local topography also limits the number of residential developments and population. Many older singular properties have been demolished and the space converted to multiple dwelling units. Even some of the older elegant hotels which have survived are now converted to apartments and townhouses. Very few of the buildings in Beaulieu top five floors. Even though the terrain is relatively gentle along the Basse Corniche (the low road between Nice and Monaco), local building codes "protect" the views of the sea and mountains. However, when booking rentals one must be careful to ask for "unrestricted" views, or sea views or mountain views, as the case may be.
Geologically, Beaulieu seems to be the oldest of the three communities based on paleolithic artifacts uncovered during road and railway construction in 1872 along the sea at Cap Roux. Cro-magnon cave dweller remains have been dated back to 75,000 to 10,000 B.C. in the area which is now part of Beaulieu. However, Beaulieu's history of development is closely tied to the founding of Villefranche in 1295 when Charles II d'Anjou basically incorporated the area into France because of the natural ports at Villefranche and Beaulieu. Beaulieu was once also home to the oldest living olive tree in the area, which in 1892 was determined to be over 2000 years old, probably imported from Phonecia in the 6th century B.C.
If you want to know more about the history of Beaulieu, Villefranche and Saint Jean, review "Villefranche-surMer, Beaulieu-sur-Mer and Saint-Jean Cap Ferrat," Le Temps Retrouvé, by Didier Gayraud, and published by Equinoxe (now out of print).
We are not here to teach history. However, we are here to provide enough local color to interest you in one of our rental properties. We advise potential buyers who may be unfamiliar with the annual variations in climate to always rent in the area first before planning to commit to any property.
Early Beaulieu-sur-Mer Pioneers
Nathalie and Natacha Desreumaux, in their book "D'Hier, & D'Aujourdhui" (Yesterday & Today) (ISBN: 2-912 683-08-4) have written a marvelous historical trace of the principal developers of the community of Beaulieu. They trace the investment of large personal fortunes in Beaulieu, as well as in Villefranche-sur-Mer and Saint Jean-Cap-Ferrat.
The list includes Gustave Eiffel (of Tower fame), Théodore Reinach (financier of Villa Kerylos), Emmanuel Pontrémoli (architect of Villa Kerylos), Sir Blundell Maple, (British MP and Hotel Bristol owner in 1899), Hyppolite Marinoni (inventor of the rotary printing press), James Gordon-Bennett (eccentric American newspaper tycoon), the Marquis of Salisbury (owner of the currently existing "La Bastide" whose friendship with Queen Victoria generated the English Court's interest in the area), Maurice Rouvier (pioneer developer of Cap-Ferrat), Paris Singer (American inventor of the sewing machine), David Désiré Pollonnais (owner of "Les Cedres" on Cap Ferrat), Leopold II of Belgium (at one time owned the whole of Cap Ferrat) and Béatrice Ephrussi de Rothchild (built Villa Ile de France with her husband's Suez Canal builder fortune). In short, these principal developers put Beaulieu-sur-Mer on everyones "A-List" as the place to be seen.
The triumviral villages of Saint Jean-Cap- Ferrat, Villefranche-sur-Mer and Beaulieu-sur-Mer continue to reign as "A-List" destinations for today's travelers to the French Riviera.
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| Beaulieu roof tops |
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