Cagnes-sur-Mer

Three Places in One Town

Cagnes-sur-Mer combines three very different places within one town: the Mediterranean seafront, the former fishing quarter of Cros-de-Cagnes and, high above them, the medieval village of Haut-de-Cagnes. The old village climbs around the Château Grimaldi in a tight network of stone houses, arches, stairways and small squares, with views opening towards the sea and the hills behind Nice.

Haut-de-Cagnes attracted painters, writers and performers throughout the twentieth century. Its quiet streets and southern light gave the village an artistic reputation that still survives in its galleries and workshops.

Renoir and the Artists

Pierre-Auguste Renoir settled in Cagnes in 1907, buying the Domaine des Collettes after learning that its ancient olive trees were threatened by development. He spent the final years of his life there, continuing to paint despite severe arthritis. The house, studio and gardens are now the Renoir Museum, preserving furniture, personal objects and works connected with his life in Cagnes.

Other artists and writers were drawn to the hilltop village, including Chaim Soutine, Foujita and Georges Simenon. Singer and cabaret performer Suzy Solidor later became another distinctive figure in Haut-de-Cagnes, where she opened a cabaret and surrounded herself with portraits painted by artists who knew her.

In the summer of 1959, Brigitte Bardot stayed with her husband Jacques Charrier at Tour Margot, close to Place Grimaldi in the heart of the old village. She was working nearby on the film Voulez-vous danser avec moi? at the Victorine Studios in Nice. Contemporary photographs show Bardot relaxing at Tour Margot between filming days, giving the otherwise discreet building an unexpected connection with French cinema.

From the Hill to the Sea

Below the village, modern Cagnes stretches towards the Mediterranean. Cros-de-Cagnes retains links with its fishing past, while the long seafront is lined with beaches, restaurants and promenades. The Hippodrome de la Côte d’Azur adds another side to the town, hosting major horse-racing events close to the coast.

Cagnes works particularly well because these different worlds are so close together. Medieval lanes, Renoir’s gardens, film history and the Mediterranean waterfront can all be explored within the same visit.