|
|
onjour ! This month’s newsletter is devoted to a luxurious city situated in one of most beautiful bays
of the Mediterranean coast: Cannes. City of the Stars, throughout history it has welcomed many of the world’s
famous people: English Lords, Russian Tsars, Arab Princes and film stars. The Film Festival of Cannes,
a gathering of the world’s most media-centric art form -- cinema -- is held here each year in May. City
of diamonds with multiple facets, Cannes is without question one of the most beautiful jewels of the Riviera.
But before continuing, please remember that you can
access and read all the newsletters already published at
www.FranceMonthly.com and receive our free monthly newsletter through email:
just subscribe at
www.FranceMonthly.com.
We commit to NEVER sell your email address to another company.
Cannes, The Romantic
The city of Cannes is spread out around a heavenly bay. According to legend, at the time of the
Genesis God spent an entire day here, fussing over minute details in order for it to be perfect.
The boardwalk, “La Croisette”, is like a magic ribbon stretching for three kilometers along the
bay: Ellipses of green palm trees and gilded sand beaches skirting the blue azure sea put to
shame the most beautiful Saharan oases. Strewn along the seashore are hundreds of blue chairs
which appear innocently abandoned. They are in fact judiciously laid out facing the ocean, like
an invitation to a dream. Turning one’s back on the open expanse and the mysterious presence of
the islands of Lérins, an evening stroller walking around the city in the evening can see the
“Massif of Esterel”, a secular shadow above Cannes, ignited by the rays of the red sun -- a short
instant, a fleeting moment in eternity. Around oneself nothing more exists; are we in Cannes or
in Paradise?
Islands of Lérins: Small Islands of Legends
Legend tells us that in the beginning only one island, belonging to the devil, existed. God ordered
it to be submerged and allowed it to return to the surface if split in two, so that Satan could no longer live
there. During the fourteenth century, Honorat, a monk in search of solitude in order to pray,
chose to settle with some companions on the smallest of the two islands. The island inspired fear as
it was a refuge for snakes, but Honorat exterminated them in one day. Having rid the island of serpents,
Honorat founded the first monastery of the Occident. Marguerite, Honorat’s sister, built a convent on
a neighboring island. The rules of monastic life prohibited the cohabitation of the monks and the nuns.
But Marguerite could not endure the idea of being separated from her beloved brother so he promised to
meet with her every time the almond trees flowered. Despairing, Marguerite prayed to the heavens to
come to her aid. God heard her call and miraculously made the almond trees flower each month, forcing
Honorat to visit her more often. In the sixteenth century, a fortress called the “Royal Fort”, was built
on the Island of St. Marguerite in order to protect the coast of Provence. The building was converted to
a prison and held some important prisoners, including "The Man with the Iron Mask", who was locked up
there from 1687 to 1698...
|
|
| Recipe
for April 2004 |
Eggplants au Gratin
 |
|
|
|
Cooking SOS !
If you run into trouble with one of our recipes, send an SOS e-mail to
911@FranceMonthly.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
The City of a Thousand Palaces
|
In December 1834, Lord Brougham, Grand Chancellor of England, departed on a journey to Italy with
his daughter Eléonore Louise. Unfortunately, a cholera epidemic prohibited their ship from entering
the port of Nice. Obligated to turn back, he decided to spend a few days in Cannes. He was so charmed by
the small fishing port he chose to remain here all winter and then decided to build a villa in honor
of his daughter, The Villa Eléonore. At the end of the nineteenth century, the small Mediterranean
city was transformed into a vacation resort for the European aristocracy. Cannes saw unprecedented
real estate growth. Its geographical location, climate and vegetation made it a destination of choice
for the billionaires from around the world. From 1870 to 1898 nearly one thousand palaces, residences
and villas were built. Cannes quickly became the city of kings and princes. These buildings -- each
grander than the one before -- enriched the architectural heritage and the notoriety of Cannes. This
city was a gathering spot for the rich and famous well before hosting the film festival.
|
 |
|
|
Subscribe to the Newsletter
Subscribe to this monthly newsletter. Every month brings you
to a new and wonderful area of France with unique stories and insights into its
history and best areas to visit. We commit to NEVER sell your email address
to another company. Click on the image below.
|
|
|
|
An Ostentatious Luxury
|
|
With more than eleven large prestigious hotels, Cannes currently ranks second in the world for
luxury hotels. These famous hotels have accommodated Hollywood stars and the crowned heads of
the entire world. The Carlton, the most famous of these palaces, built in 1912, is today classified
as a historic building. It owes its celebrity to its noble architecture, featuring a cupola inspired
by the form of the breast of "beautiful Otéro", a nineteenth century courtesan. Almost all the rooms
have a view on the sea. The Martinez, if not the oldest, is the largest of the deluxe hotels on the
“Croisette”. Built in 1929, it seems to attract eccentric customers: the stars of the silver screen
cross paths with musicians and models from around the world. It is the “Showbiz” hotel par excellence!
The newest of the luxury hotels, Noga Hilton, was built in 1992 on the site of the old Palace of the
Festivals. This deluxe hotel and casino, with its resolutely modern architecture, combines massive
construction with the lightness of its glazed frontage which reflects to passers-by the mirror image
of the Mediterranean.
|
 |
|
|
Forward this Newsletter
Share the information on this region of France with a friend
by clicking on the image below.
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Festival of Cannes: A Birth During the Tumults of the War
|
 |
In 1938, the festival of the "Mostra Internazionale d’Arte Cinematografico" of Venice awarded Grand
Prizes to two films, one supervised by Mussolini’s son and the other a film-documentary of Leni
Riefenstahl on the Olympic Games. In doing so they created a diplomatic and cinematographic incident
without precedent. This inspired Philippe Erlanger, a leading historian for the Fench association of
artistic activities, to create a French festival of cinematography. On September 1, 1939, under the
presidency of Louis Lumiere (the French inventor of the cinema), the first International Film Festival
was inaugurated in Cannes. Unfortunately the war started two days later, and the Festival disappeared
before it had even existed. It was necessary to wait until the end of the conflict to see it reappear.
In 1946, Jean Cocteau, celebrated screenwriter and French poet, declared: "the festival is a political
‘No man’s Land’, a microcosm of what the world would be if men could make direct contact and speak the
same language". The festival became the symbol of a new found peace.
Would you like to read more about France? Click here.
|
|
|
A Starlet Who Became Myth
|
|
Since the early Fifties, the world’s largest film stars have climbed the steps of the Palace of the Festivals.
The paparazzi were already there to take photographs, write articles and help create sensations. The
“nymphettes” in love with movies did not miss the festival, hoping to draw the attention of a reputable
screenwriter or of a popular actor. The year 1954 was marked by an episode which could have been comical
had it not been marred by a tragic epilogue: Simone Sylva, a young wild starlet, did not hesitate to reveal
her charm in front of Robert Mitchum. The photographers took note, the scandal burst and the young woman,
faced with general disgrace, commited suicide two years later. Another starlet was just fifteen years old
when she distributed portraits of herself in front of the hall of the Carlton. One of the doormen drove her
out when the celebrities arrived, but she persisted and flaunted herself in a bikini on the beaches of Cannes.
Soon enough, her voluptuous beauty and sulky pout that the film industry forever immortilized drew attention.
In 1956, it was Roger Vadim, completely smitten who offered a character part to his future wife -- a true
Pygmalion. Thus "And God Created Woman" made the “nymphette”, Brigitte Bardot, a genuine movie star, and the
sex-symbol for an entire generation.
|
|
|
The Market of Forville: the Provencal Soul of Cannes
|
|
Palace of the Festivals, luxurious hotels, and sumptuous yachts tucked to the quays of the
old port; such are the images that one often retains of Cannes. Yet, protected from the artificial
lights of the movies, well removed from the spangles of the international jet set, the true heart of
Cannes is accessible to the walker. Cannes becomes the small city hidden behind the patina walls of
the old houses on the “Suquet” hill. Within the interior of the old city, the Provencal accent resounds,
and the market of Forville adds a taste of tradition. Each morning except Monday (which is reserved
for the second-hand dealers) the market indistinctly welcomes the chefs of reputation who officiate
in the kitchens of the grand hotels, the advised “cannoises”, (women of Cannes) and the stray tourists.
One buys a delicious sausage by the meter, a still wriggling fish, and freshly picked fruits and vegetables.
Sharp colors mix with the spiced perfumes... all the savors of Provence are offered with no limit,
for the gourmand’s desire. Under the fresh arbors, breathes the heart of the old Cannes!
|
|
Cannes-the-Radiant, Cannes-the-Majestic, Cannes-the-Star... these qualifiers are not enough to describe
the historical and cultural magnificence of this city. The city is victorious in its unthinkable challenge
and foolish bet -- to please all its visitors. For the ardent shoppers, or simply the window shopper, all
the great names of fashion have their boutiques on the “Croisette”: Smalto, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Hermès,
Versace, Prada, Christian Lacroix and many others... For the lovers of lounging, the beaches of Cannes stretch
out for kilometers. For the experts in yachting, each year, around the islands of Lérins there are captivating
Royal Regattas. This city offers so many facets that nobody leaves disappointed. Dazzling in the eyes of the
world, Cannes welcomes, a firework festival once a year that brings together expert pyrotechnists. The city
has yet another festival and the words of Jean Cocteau resound in everyone’s ears: "Cannes is a live comet
on this planet".
|
|
| |
 |
|
|
