Villa Eilenroc is beautifully situated on Cap d’Antibes
Villa Eilenroc is incredibly beautifully located, high raised 30m above sea level on Cap d’Antibes, on 11 acres of grounds, with a breathtaking rose garden and divine views of the Mediterranean Sea.
The villa is now owned by the city of Antibes, which received it as a gift, and is now open to the public.
Born in Belle Époque’s amazing period
Villa Eilenroc’s history begins in 1860 when a wealthy Dutchman, named Hugh-Hope Loudon, bought a piece of land on Cap d’Antibes to build a luxurious mansion.
The villa was completed in 1867 and was named Eilenroc, an anagram of his wife’s name, Cornelie. The architect of the house was none other than Charles Garnier, who had also been in charge of the opera houses in Paris and Monte Carlo.
The villa’s owners through time
Six years later, the villa was sold to Scottish philanthropist, James Wyllie. Wyllie founded an unusual garden which, to this day, is visited and admired by people around the world. Here is one of the most beautiful rose gardens in the region.
After the death of James Wyllie in 1908, Eilenroc is taken over by Sir Coleridge Kennard and then by Monsieur and Madame Sudreau.
In 1927, the villa was bought by an American married couple, Mr. And Mrs. Beaumont, who had the renowned landscape architect, Jacques Gréber, redesigning the garden.
Although the villa was relatively empty since the end of World War II, Eilenroc remained in the family’s possession until 1982, when Mrs. Beaumont, then widow, bequeathed the villa to the city of Antibes on the condition that it will have to be open to the public.
She herself lived, most of her life, in Monte Carlo until her death in 1988.
Famous guests through time
Villa Eilenroc has been visited by a number of celebrities over the years. There are just a few here: Greta Garbo, the Duke of Windsor, Alain Delon, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Valentino and many, many more.
Eilenroc is restored by Antibes
The city has since carried out major renovation work on buildings, furniture and the gardens. A visit inside is like a journey back in time, with the original furniture, floors and certain personal belongings.
Eilenroc’s beautiful garden with the rose garden “La Rosaire”
The rose garden is one of the largest patches with about 1000 plants. It was inaugurated in 2003 and brings together the varieties of roses commonly grown on the Côte d’Azur. In 2011, a fragrance garden was planted at the entrance to the rose garden. The garden is an extra great experience to admire during the flowering season of the roses from May to October.
Olive grove year 2000
One of the first steps in the reconstruction of Villa Eilenroc’s olive grove was to plant 50 olive trees as a symbol of a bridge between past and future in honor of children born in this first year of the 2nd millennium. Since they were planted, a first production of olive oil has already been bottled.
At the end of the olive grove is a small Eco museum.
Most of the garden borders the Sentier de Tire-Poil, which you walk along the hike around Cap d’Antibes – one of the finest coastal trails on the Côte d’Azur.
Also read about Château de la Garoupe and Château de la Croë
In addition to the Villa Eilenroc, there are two more magnificent historic mansions on the Cap d’Antibes.
One is Château de la Garoupe, which, after being in the possession of the French state for 10 years, was sold in December 2023 to the Ukrainian billionaire and founder of WhatsApp Jan Koum. The sale price is believed to be 65 million euros.
The second is the Château de la Croë, which today is owned by the wealthy Russian Roman Abramovich, who has invested over 33 million euros in the renovation of the mansion.
Read more about the two historic mansions here: Château de la Garoupe & Château de la Croë
By Tommy Sverre – 2024
Please check the villas homepage for opening hours and further informations: Villa Eilenroc
Admission 2 €
