La Villa Alexandrine from 1911 in beautiful Belle Époque architecture

Beautiful Belle Époque Architecture from 1911

The beautiful La Villa Alexandrine today houses the local tourist office in Vence, as well as a very interesting museum dedicated to the Polish writer Witold Gombrowicz.

The villa dates from 1911 and is one of the jewels of Belle Époque architecture.

Named after a Local Merchant’S Daughter

Villa Alexandrine is named after Alexandrine Magdaleine Audibert, the daughter of a successful carpenter who was born and raised in the town.

Alexandrine died in 1940, and 24 years later the great Polish writer Witold Gombrowicz moved into the villa. He lived here until his death in 1969, just 65 years old.

The 400 m² villa was then left without maintenance and slowly deteriorated over time, eventually becoming just a shadow of its former glory.

Vence Buys the Villa

When the city of Vence bought Villa Alexandrine in 1988, it sparked particular interest from the Polish government. Through a collaboration with the Polish Ministry of Culture, benefiting from Polish expertise in restoration, the entire villa was completely renovated in 2016/17 for a total of €1.8 million.

La Villa Alexandrine over 5 Floors

The ground floor now houses the local Vence Tourist Office, in a much larger and more modern version than before, with several functional rooms, plasma screens, digital tablets, a shop, meeting rooms, etc.

1st floor is an exhibition space for local creation and artists from Vence. It can also host exhibitions, conferences, cultural meetings, and more.

2. floor is a museum dedicated to the writer Witold Gombrowicz, whose international fame is particularly strong in Poland and Argentina.

3rd floor offers visitors a magnificent vantage point for photographing the town and the square — Place de Grand Jardin.

4th floor — the tower room offers a lovely view over Place du Grand Jardin, plus an exceptional panoramic view of the Baou mountains. This room is reserved for internal use and meetings, mainly for partners and the press.

By Tommy Sverre – 2021