Château de la Napoule, Mandelieu-la-Napoule, France

The Château de la Napoule was constructed in the 14th century by the Countess of Villeneuve. Over the centuries it was rebuilt several times. In the 19th century it was turned into a glass factory. In 1918, it was purchased by Americans, Henry Clews Jr. and Marie Clews (1880-1959), who restored and moved into the castle. They added additional sections in their own personal style, with sculptures by Henry Clews Jr. The castle is owned by the La Napoule Art Foundation, which was founded in 1951 by Marie Clews, and serves as a cultural centre.

After Henry's death and during the Second World War, the castle was captured by German soldiers. Marie Clews served the soldiers by acting as the maid of the castle's staff so she could stay close to her home and the memory of her husband.

When the Clews acquired the castle, the park had cedar and eucalyptus trees, and had been abandoned for years. Marie Clews began the restoration of the gardens. The park of the castle today has elements of a garden à la française and of an English landscape garden, with a grand alley, basins, perspectives, and views of the sea. In addition, there are three smaller gardens in the Italian style: the Garden de la Mancha next to the Tower of La Mancha, under which the mausoleum of the Clews family is located; the terraces which overlook the Bay of Cannes, which are planted with cypress trees, hedges and rosemary; and the secret garden, in a corner of the walls with windows looking at the sea, with a Venetian well in the centre.

References:

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User Reviews

Gabriel Codreanu (12 months ago)
Amazing place with a lovely view.also the food is really good and cheap and good service as well. highly recommend !

Julie Destura (13 months ago)
It's nice place near the beach and good for walking area

Chema Chemita (2 years ago)
Incredible and amazing Castle in the center of Mandelieu. It's a must see.

tanaka mai (2 years ago)
Because it was late afternoon, I walked around without going inside. It was a very nice scenery.

Breathe Repeat (2 years ago)
Guided tour was a great treat! Our guide shared a beautiful account of the history of the Chateau and the Clews. Magical gardens. Ideal setting for a wedding or party. Romantic views of the sea and beach. Henry and Elsie "Marie"s vision was spellbinding. Their love is celebrated throughout the grounds. Wonderful experience.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Frans.Sellies

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The first residence on the site was founded by bishop Stanislas Thurzo in 1497. The building was in a Late Gothic style, with a modicum of Renaissance detail. During the Thirty Years' War, the castle was sacked by the Swedish army (1643).

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Interiors of the palace were extensively used by Miloš Forman as a stand-in for Vienna's Hofburg Imperial Palace during filming of Amadeus (1984), based on the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who actually never visited Kroměříž. The main audience chamber was also used in the film Immortal Beloved (1994), in the piano concerto scene.

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