The Villas of the Riviera

During the end of the 19th century and the first decades of this century, the French Riviera became the most desirable of getaways, first for European aristocracy and then for the young American "smart set". Ever since, the Riviera has endured as the world's premier international resort. Against the dramatic background of plunging mountains, rocky harbours and sweeping bays, the glitterati of the Cote d'Azur built exquisite villas in a panoply of styles - medieval, classical revival, Louis XV and international style. This book features 20 of the French Riviera's most splendid villas (with interiors, gardens, pools and grounds), including those owned or occupied by Empress Eugenie of France, King Leopold II of Belgium, Lady Kenmare, Beatrice de Rothschild, the De Noailles, Daisy Fellows and W. Somerset Maugham. The authors have been granted unprecedented access to these extraordinary houses, and capture their magical exteriors and interiors; enchanting gardens in beautiful hillside settings; gilded furniture with fine needlepoint upholstery; opulent tapestries; mosaic floors and Aubusson carpets.