Construction of the villa 1826 (≈ 1826)
Edited by André François de May.
1842
Abandonment by owners
Abandonment by owners 1842 (≈ 1842)
Occupied only by the farmers.
1967
Purchase by the municipality
Purchase by the municipality 1967 (≈ 1967)
Initial museum project.
25 janvier 1980
Historical monument classification
Historical monument classification 25 janvier 1980 (≈ 1980)
Protection of interior decorations.
15 novembre 2014
Inauguration of the conservatory
Inauguration of the conservatory 15 novembre 2014 (≈ 2014)
After complete restoration.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The two lounges on both sides of the entrance to the ground floor with their decor; Diane's salon, the salon of the judgment of Pâris and the small salon with love on the first floor with their decor (Box B 21): inscription by decree of 25 January 1980
Key figures
André François de May - Builder of the villa
Sponsor in 1826.
Vicomte François de May (1834–1914) - Co-founder of Beaulieu-sur-Mer
Mayor from 1900 to 1904.
François de May (1897–1984) - Mayor of Beaulieu-sur-Mer
Two terms (1928–1940, 1947–1959).
Origin and history
The villa of May, located Avenue Charles-II Count of Provence in Beaulieu-sur-Mer, was built in 1826 by André François de May in a neo-classical style. The building, rectangular and composed of three levels, is distinguished by its interior decorations: two ground floor rooms decorated with landscaped murals, two rooms on the first floor with painted ceilings, and a third level illustrating the Judgement of Pâris. By 1842, the villa was home to more than the estate's tenants, marking the decline in its residential use by its owners.
The villa was acquired by the municipality in 1967 to install a museum, before being fully restored between 2013 and 2014 in order to host an intercommunal conservatory of music, inaugurated on 15 November 2014. Classified as historical monuments on 25 January 1980 for its decorated salons and painted ceilings, it bears witness to the architectural and artistic heritage of the Côte d'Azur. His history was linked to the family of May, a noble line established in Villefranche-sur-Mer since the 15th century, whose members participated in the founding of Beaulieu-sur-Mer in 1891.
The May family, anobligated in the seventeenth century, played a major role in the region, particularly in the military and political fields. Viscount François de May (1834–1914), co-founder of Beaulieu and mayor from 1900 to 1904, and his son François (1897–1984), mayor from 1928 to 1940 and then from 1947 to 1959, illustrate this lasting influence. The villa, today communal property, perpetuates this historical legacy while serving as a cultural place.
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