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Origin and history

The Grimaldi Castle is an ancient castle whose origins date back to the 14th century, built on Greek and Roman remains by Rainier I Grimaldi, lord of Monaco and admiral of France. This medieval fort, originally intended for defence, was owned by the Grimaldi d'Antibes family for nearly 500 years, from 1309 until the French Revolution. Its strategic position at the summit of the Haut-de-Cagnes offered an exceptional panorama of the Mediterranean Sea and the Alps, reinforcing its role as watchdog.

Around 1620, Jean-Henri Grimaldi of Antibes, Marquis de Courbons and Baron de Cagnes, radically transformed the medieval castle into an elegant Italian residence, under the protection of Louis XIII and Cardinal Richelieu. He added a monumental exterior staircase and superimposed loggias in the inner courtyard. The audience room, adorned with a baroque fresco depicting Phaéton's Fall by Giulio Benso, bears witness to this fascinating period. This palace then combined charm and wealth, reflecting the artistic influence of Nice County.

At the beginning of the 18th century, the castle was involved in a forgery affair orchestrated by Marquis Honoré III Grimaldi. In 1710, the Earl of Artagnan, Joseph de Montesquiou, discovered fraudulent material during a search, putting an end to these illegal activities. At the Revolution, the Grimaldi, driven from Cagnes, took refuge in Nice and then in Genoa, leaving the castle to abandon. It was saved by private restoration in 1875, before being acquired by the municipality in 1939.

Since 1946, the castle has housed the Museum of Modern Art and Ethnography, as well as a unique collection of portraits of singer Suzy Solidor, given in 1973. Its undergrounds served as an anti-aircraft shelter in 1944. Ranked a historic monument in 1948, it preserves a massive dungeon with niches and mâchicoulis, medieval vaulted halls, and a triangular patio adorned with a bicentenary peidrier, mixing medieval heritage and Nice baroque.

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