Logo Musée du Patrimoine

All French heritage classified by regions, departments and cities

Park and gardens of Champfleuri dans les Alpes-Maritimes

Parc et jardins de Champfleuri
Parc et jardins de Champfleuri
Parc et jardins de Champfleuri
Parc et jardins de Champfleuri
Parc et jardins de Champfleuri
Parc et jardins de Champfleuri
Parc et jardins de Champfleuri
Parc et jardins de Champfleuri
Parc et jardins de Champfleuri
Parc et jardins de Champfleuri
Parc et jardins de Champfleuri
Parc et jardins de Champfleuri
Parc et jardins de Champfleuri
Parc et jardins de Champfleuri
Parc et jardins de Champfleuri
Parc et jardins de Champfleuri
Parc et jardins de Champfleuri
Parc et jardins de Champfleuri
Parc et jardins de Champfleuri
Parc et jardins de Champfleuri
Parc et jardins de Champfleuri
Parc et jardins de Champfleuri
Parc et jardins de Champfleuri
Parc et jardins de Champfleuri
Parc et jardins de Champfleuri
Parc et jardins de Champfleuri
Parc et jardins de Champfleuri
Parc et jardins de Champfleuri
Parc et jardins de Champfleuri
Parc et jardins de Champfleuri
Parc et jardins de Champfleuri
Parc et jardins de Champfleuri
Parc et jardins de Champfleuri
Parc et jardins de Champfleuri
Parc et jardins de Champfleuri
Parc et jardins de Champfleuri
Parc et jardins de Champfleuri
Parc et jardins de Champfleuri
Parc et jardins de Champfleuri
Parc et jardins de Champfleuri
Parc et jardins de Champfleuri
Parc et jardins de Champfleuri
Parc et jardins de Champfleuri
Crédit photo : Vincy.Lacroix - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1900
2000
vers 1880
Construction of the villa
1925
Acquisition by Marino Vagliano
1928
Expansion of the park
1964
Demolition of the villa
3 avril 1990
Registration for Historic Monuments
1er mars 2001
Label *Twentieth Century Heritage*
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

Park and gardens, except for the recent buildings they carry (see CL 111): inscription by order of 3 April 1990

Key figures

James Bland - First owner Scottish, sponsor of the villa around 1880.
Marino Vagliano - Owner and patron Golf champion, buyer in 1925.
Danaé Vagliano - Garden designer Designed the seven theme gardens.
Abro Kandjian - Architect Author of the 1964 building.

Origin and history

The Champfleuri Park and Gardens, located in the California district of Cannes, are part of the emblematic seaside heritage of the French Riviera. Originally, the estate belonged to James Bland Scots, who built an eclectic villa around 1880, surrounded by a 1.3 hectare landscaped garden. This first layout included tennis, vegetable gardens, and a terrace decorated with roses and putti statues. The property was acquired in 1925 by Marino Vagliano, heir to a Greek family of bankers and golf champion, who began to expand the estate and refurbish the gardens.

In 1928, after the purchase of the adjacent grounds of the Magali villa (now the gardener's house), the area of the park increased to 2.5 hectares. Danaé Vagliano, marino's wife, designed a set of seven theme gardens: French (or Florentine), Japanese, Italian, Spanish, Provençal, Dutch and Moorish. These spaces, organized around stairs, pergolas and water points (water mirrors, star basins, canals), reflected the cultural and artistic influences of the time. A Mexican garden and two swimming pools were added later, after the villa was demolished in 1964.

The original villa, transformed in 1964 into a six-storey building by architect Abro Kandjian, disappeared to give way to a hundred apartments. Only the gardens, the fence wall and its ornaments were preserved. The park, now private but accessible during Heritage Days, was listed as a historic monument on 3 April 1990 and was awarded the 20th Century Heritage label in 2001. It illustrates the golden age of Cannois seaside tourism and the enthusiasm for eclectic gardens at the beginning of the 20th century.

Champfleuri's gardens are part of the Cannes seaside heritage census, alongside other emblematic sites such as the Villa La Californie. Their conservation reflects the historical importance of secondary residences and landscaped areas in the development of the French Riviera. The architectural and botanical influences, combining local traditions and exoticism, make it a unique example of the early 20th century garden art in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.

External links