Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Vallombrosa Castle, originally called "Château des Tours" or "Villa Sainte-Ursule", was built between 1852 and 1856 in Cannes by the English architect Thomas Smith for Lord Londeborough, under the leadership of the promoter Sir Thomas Robinson Woolfield. In a neo-Gothic style inspired by Scottish castles, it is distinguished by its nine towers, its crenellated mâchicoulis and its chapel decorated with stained glass and oak woodwork. The park, planted on steep rocks, extends over three hectares and incorporates typical landscape elements of the romantic era.

In 1858, the castle was acquired by Richard Manca Amat, Duke of Vallombrosa, who added a chapel decorated with plant motifs and scenes from the Way of the Cross. The Duke turned the villa into a worldly reception, welcoming artists like Charles Gounod or the singer Christine Nilsson, as well as European aristocratic personalities. After the death of his wife in 1886, the Duke left Cannes, and the castle was sold in 1893 to the German hotelier Martin Ellmer.

Under the direction of architect Laurent Vianay, Ellmer transformed the castle into a Baroque palace, the Hôtel du Parc, between 1906 and 1909. The towers are modified, balconies are added, and two wings extend the facade to more than 150 meters. The hotel, considered the most luxurious on the French Riviera, closed in 1934 to become a condominium residence. Since 1993, the facades, roofs, chapel and some of the interiors have been protected as historical monuments.

The Vallembosa park, with its aisles, basins and factories, as well as the interior elements such as the large hall and stairs, testify to the opulence of the Cannoese resort in the 19th century. The site also illustrates the architectural evolution from romantic neo-Gothic to hotel baroque, reflecting the changing tastes of the aristocracy and the international bourgeoisie.

Among the notable anecdotes, each floor of the current condominium offers about 800 m2, allowing whole families to settle there, as was the case for the ground floor, former reception room of the palace. The castle also served as a hospital during the 1870 war, under the impulse of the Duchess Geneviève de Pérusus des Cars, wife of the Duke of Vallombrosa.

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