Villa Camélias

Villa Camélias – Cap d’Ail

The villa was built in the years around 1905 and is a beautiful testimony to the architectural heyday of Belle Époque, which was at its peak in the early 1900s.

It was a Parisian couple who built the villa and, in 1914, it was sold on to the director of the theater des Variétés in Paris, Fernand Samuel. After a number of different owners, villa les Camélias was sold in 1952 to the family who still runs the place today.

Today, the villa is privately owned and serves as a museum for local traditions, to show collections of Basque art by Ramiro Arrue and as a venue for various cultural events.

On one of the walls, above a piano, hangs a long series of portraits of Cap d’Ail’s famous guests: Winston Churchill, Salvador Dali, Greta Garbo, Sacha Guitry, Jean Cocteau, the English royal family, Josephine Baker and many more.

Lush garden representing southern French flora

The beautiful garden, which has been allowed to grow freely on its own terms, shows a large and beautiful selection of local trees and plants.

Here you will find mimosa trees, temple trees (frangipani), ginkgo biloba, judas trees, bougainvilleas, camellias, jasmines and many more.

Video from Villa les Camélias

The video below (with French audio) shows the villa beautifully and you will really feel like it is worth a visit.

Villa website: Villa les Camélias

By Tommy Sverre – 2022