A stone’s throw from Monaco and its abundant activity is one of the most prestigious sites on the Riviera. The peninsula of Cape Martin is home to several legendary properties, mostly grouped on its mineral heights overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, with a breathtaking view of the Principality.
Its geographical position, combined with the sweets of the climate, have long attracted people of different cultures and backgrounds, subjugated by the natural beauty of the site and its strategic advantages. Essential communication path between Genoa and Nice, the site has aroused the greed of all factions in the region during the medieval period before the Grimaldi family and then the revolution brought it back into the French fold.
The topography of the place quickly conquered the heart, so sensitive to beauty, of artists and great men of all kinds. All fell under the spell of this wonderful setting where the telluric forces meet the talent of the greatest architects to propose a real estate universe unique in the world …
History of Cap Martin, between nature and villas Belle Epoque
1889 is a key date in the history of the town. Following the sale of the Cape to an English company, the developer Calvin White and the architect Hans-Georg Tersling subdivise a large lot, paving the way for the birth of a private estate of Cape Martin, split into small real estate entities. The construction of the Grand Hotel Cap Martin gives the real kickoff of the colonization of the peninsula by luxury properties. Its avant-garde technological feats for the time (water in the rooms and gas on all floors) justify the theory of many historians who see in this building the pioneering figure of hotel development throughout the “French Riviera”. The incomparable quality of service provided by an army of dedicated staff has made this palace one of the centers of the French art of entertaining. From its lush gardens, guests enjoy a unique panorama of almost 360 ° stretching from Menton in the east to the Principality of Monaco in the west, under a sun almost permanent.
Alongside the construction of this luxury liner that is the Grand Hotel du Cap, the private villas rise out of the ground on all the slope of Roquebrune. J de F. Martin takes the opportunity to transform his property, Villa Miramar, into a museum where he exhibits his personal collection of buttons. Hans-Georg Tersling, tireless worker, continues his saving work by designing the villa Cyrnos in 1892 for the ex-Empress Eugénie de Montijo who was reluctant to submit to the invitations of her friend Empress Sissi to enjoy the pleasures of the region. The Belle Epoque style is then in full expansion. The Villa Les Rochers, bought from Prince Capece Zurlo by Calvin White, is one of the most emblematic examples and has recently made headlines when it was offered for sale for 90 million euros.
A nursery of luxury villas
The beginning of the twentieth century confirms the widespread interest of the high spheres for the Cap Martin area. Architectural styles are evolving but the attraction for the region is not fading while the architect Tersling, still him, continues to build sumptuous villas. The Villa del Mare, pure jewel of Louis XVI style, will be owned successively by an Irish artist, an Italian actress, an African dictator and finally a Russian billionaire. Following tough negotiations that will see the Grand Hotel du Cap participate in the financing of the operation, the arrival of the tramway facilitates the transport of the hosts growing ever more the reputation of the town. If the first world war produces a clear slowdown in the number of visitors to the site, investors quickly return and Alexandre Giaume, owner of the Monte Carlo Hotel, undertake to modernize the site to meet the expectations of a new audience, less aristocratic.
Today, the Domaine Privé du Cap Martin continues to shine in the eyes of the world, evidenced by the sums that are willing to invest future buyers and the weak availability of real estate opportunities. This highly competitive sector does not have to worry about the sustainability of its growth. Located in the heart of the “French Riviera”, bordered by cities as prestigious as scintillating and endowed with a unique natural setting, Cap Martin will be, for a long time, an indisputable first choice for the contemplative wealthy …
If you are looking for a prestigious address on the Riviera, contact us, we will be delighted to share with you our knowledge of Cape Martin!