A History of the Mas
This is a 19th Century *Mas (Farmhouse) built in 1802. It was originally built by Marechal d'Embertrand (one of Napoleon's Marshalls) and we believe it was used by Napoleon himself. The entire garden & house have retained their Provencale pedigree but include all the luxury one has come to expect of the 21st Century.
Area & History
From its hilltop position, 260m above sea level, set amongst Pine, Oak & Olive trees, this enchanting medieval village holds a panoramic view of the Bay of Cannes, the Isle of Lerins, Mandelieu, Grasse & the Alps Maritimes.
Along the age old streets, artists exhibit their works & bijou shops display ceramics & bouquets of dried Provençal flowers & herbs.
Francis Picabia, the surrealist avant-garde painter, developed a passion for Mougins and settled here; sharing his love of the place amongst his artist friends, he attracted some of the greatest cultural figures of our time to this small village. The most famous was Pablo Picasso who lived and died in Mougins it is one of the most sought after areas in the Riviera. Most of the major impressionists lived in Provence including Miro, Cezanne, Matisse & Van Gogh; others included Jean Cocteau, Paul Edouard, Man Ray, Jacques Brel, Edith Piaf, Yves St. Laurent, Christian Dior, Paul Anka, Catherine Deneuve, Fernand Leger, Robert Desnos, Rene Clair, Isadora Duncan & Winston Churchill.
Mougins' Cultural Heritage
There is a great deal to see in Mougins'. It's cultural heritage boasts of wealth of historic landmarks, see below:
- 12th Century Notre Dame de Vie Chapel.
- 11th Century St.Jacques le Majeur Parish Church.
- Octagonal shaped St. Barthelemyy Chapel.
- 13 Fountains.
- Museum of Photography.
- The Museum of Local History - Located in the 17th Century Saint Bernadin Chapel.
- The Automobile Museum - This museum houses one of the most magnificent collections of automobiles in Europe (over 100 vehicles dating from 1894 to the present day).
Mougins has a reputation for fine dining & has always attracted the most prestigious chefs. When Roger Verger came to Mougins in 1969, the town had only seven restaurants. Today, there are nearly fifty, all vying with each other to offer the most refined cuisine-gourmand, Provençale or traditional dining.
The wonderful old town is known for its cuisine, & Roger Verger reigned supreme at his elegant Le Moulin de Mougins (tel. 04-93-75-78-24). However, you can live and eat for less at more secluded and less publicised Oasis's.
Much of the town consists of parks, gardens and woods, in particular La Valmasque forest park, which has nature and exercise trails, such as botanical paths, equestrian and mountain biking routes.
L'Etang de Fontmerle, a five-hectare pond on the edge of La Valmasque park is remarkable for its magnificent scenery, spectacular vegetation & wealth of birds. It has the largest Lotus colony in Europe and is home to a Lotus, unique to Europe. The nearby park of La Brague is a fisherman's paradise.
Here is a brief guide to Mougins' famous landmarks & history:
- In the Roman period, Mougins, which was the capital of a Ligurian tribe, it became a staging post on the Via Aurelia.
- 11th Century, in Mougins: Fortification of the village; construction of the church of Saint James the Great, enlarged in the 18th & 19th Centuries.
- 18th Century: Mougins enjoyed a certain degree of prosperity thanks to the cultivation of olives, vines, jasmine and roses.
- 19th Century: The farm & Napoleon. On 2nd March 1815, the Emperor Napoleon was on his way back from Elba Island with a troop of 100 of his famous elite soldiers, the "Grognards." As they left Cannes, heading for Paris, the Colonel Chabert gave the order to halt in Mougins. The soldiers & the Emperor rested on the Candille land, the peaceful serenity of the site was already weaving its own special magic!
Mougins (Western Riviera): Only 8.1km (5 miles) north of Cannes, the once fortified town of Mougins is a thousand years old, but never in its history has it been so popular as a place to enjoy the good life. Picasso, who could afford to live anywhere, chose a place nearby, Notre Dame de Vie, to spend his last years.
