Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Palace Carnolès, located in Menton in the Alpes-Maritimes, was built in 1717 on the initiative of Prince Antoine I of Monaco on land acquired by the monks of Lérins. Designed as a trianon inspired by the Grand Trianon of Versailles, it served as a summer residence for the Grimaldi princes. The plans, attributed to Jacques V Gabriel, were modified by architect Jean Antoine Latour, transforming the recreation pavilion into a habitable home. The palace, decorated by chinese painters such as Bressan and Puppo, was completed in 1725. Its park, built in the same year, was already home to orange trees and star paths, foreshadowing the current botanical garden.

In 1793 the principality of Monaco was annexed by France, and the palace changed hands several times. Repurchased in 1818 by Monaco, it was redecorated in the Empire style under Honoré V (1820-1822). After Menton's transfer to France in 1861, the palace became a casino (1863-1876), then acquired in 1896 by the American Edward Philips Allis. The latter entrusted its renovation to the Danish architect Hans-Georg Tersling, who doubled its depth and added a neo-pumpian facade. Since 1977, the Palace has been home to the Museum of Fine Arts in Menton, which was declared a historic monument in 1969.

The Botanical Park of the Palais Carnolès, listed as historical monuments, extends over one hectare and houses 137 citrus varieties, including orange, lemon and grapefruit trees. Created in 1725 as a flowered vegetable garden, it was enclosed with covered walls of spaliers and grapes. Today, it is approved by the Conservatoire des collections plantes spécialisés and supplemented by contemporary sculptures since 1994. The museum, for its part, exhibits works by Raoul Dufy, Max Jacob, and primitive Italians, reflecting the eclecticism of local collections.

The history of the palace is marked by figures such as Prince Antoine I, who educated his daughter Marie-Pelline Grimaldi, or architect Tersling, who modernized the building. The hexagonal baroque kiosk, with its tile cap, and the interior decorations of Raphaël Orsolino (1822) bear witness to successive stylistic influences. The museum also perpetuates the legacy of the artistic biennials launched in 1951 under the aegis of Matisse, enriching its collections of major works of the twentieth century.

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