Palate of the duke Vallombrosa

The palate of the duke Vallombrosa is a gigantic residence built between 1852 and 1856 by Sir Thomas Robinson Woolfield for Lord Londesborough on the site of the castle of the Turns (also called Holy-Ursule villa and later hotel of the Park). In 1858, the castle was acquired by Richard Manca Amat, duke of Villambrosa. In 1893, it was sold to the German hotel rich person Martin Ellmer and became between 1906 and 1934 " the De luxe hotel of the parc". Today, the ducal residence is a condominium.

History

Geographical location, origin and description

In the beginning, the castle belonged to one of the many residences of prestige built by Sir Thomas Robinson Woolfield for the account of fortunate purchasers. Located 6 avenue Jean de Noailles and classified with the inventory of the historic buildings, it was carried out by the English architect Thomas Smith and the English contractor Odadhia Pulhan. The castle is planted on the escarpés rocks of the small valley of the Riou. Entirely built in pink Gneiss, it is about a building of style Néo-gothique, a tantinet Baroque, flanked of nine towers square and round containing the backstairs out of screws and roughcast crenelated pepper plantations and machicolations. The plan has two axes of circulation including the principal staircase. The castle with a porch covered in terrace confined of turrets.

Annexed with the castle, one finds also a vault arched of elegant warheads, with the polychrome veins. Its chorus of polygonal form and is decorated with carved vegetable reasons. Woodworks in oak with panels with folds of towels decorate the vault. This unit is crowned by scenes carved in low relief of the Chemin of cross. Above, one can observe masterpieces of Italian painting. The Vitraux of the chorus represent the Vierge, Sainte Genevieve and Saint Richard, owners of the duchess and the duke. The platform out of wooden, on consoles, has an openwork railing.

The building is integrated in a tropical park of three hectares. It was sold initially with Lord Londesborough.

The golden age of the palate and the duke Vallombrosa

In 1858 the Marquis de Conyngham, nephew of Lord Londesborough and Pair of England sells the castle for 180,000 F with Richard Manca Amat, duke of Vallombrosa which adds a vault, makes decorate the hall, increases and enriches the park. As of this moment, the duke decided to leave the Parisian aristocratic gilded life where he enjoyed an unquestionable fame fleurant the cloak and dagger novel. Very quickly, as a fine stimulating organizer and dynamics, it became one of the engines of the Cannes-native life. With the castle of the Turns the most crested members of the colony azuréenne met thus. Famous artists such as the famous Swedish professional singer Christine Nilsson, Mrs Conneau and Diaz de Soria, the harpist Hasselmans, the violonist Viardot. Charles Gounod exerted his last works there. The guests could lavish their talent of company there: the Comtesse of Guerne Sang or Miss de Banuelos played of the Andalusian guitar… Other famous personalities were the guests of the duke:

Léopolod Bucquet, Eugene Triplet Skrypitzine, James de Colquhoum and Victor Béchard with which the duke founded the Société of the Regattas in 1863.
the Duchess of Edinburgh accompanied by the Archduke Victor, brother of the emperor from Austria to which it made visit the island Holy-Marguerite in 1877.
1884, the count and the countess of Paris, the marshal of Mac Mahon
the Prince de Galles, the Countess of Saxony Cobourg-Gotha.
etc

But the property was also the residence which accommodated the casualties and the patients of the Armée with the Loire in 1870. They were placed in the principal villas transformed into hospital under the direction of the duchess.

As of the beginning of the year 1890, misfortunes strikes the Vallombrosa family. The duke leaves Cannes for Paris after the death of his wife the duchess. In 1893, the duke decides to sell the residence to a German hotel rich person. It is the end of the Vallombrosa palate. In 1896, the son of the duke is killed by Touaregs in south-Algerian.

The hotel of the Park

Thus, in 1893, the hotel rich person of German nationality and owner of the hotel of the house became purchaser of the Valombrosa palate which it transformed and renamed into hotel of the Park in 1909. Hotel German makes increase and arrange the building in hotel of travellers. The castle is increased in 1893 by the architect Louis Vianey. Thus, two wings were added to the building of which the frontage have consequently more than 150 m length. During many years, it was the most luxurious de luxe hotel of the Riviera.

A hotel become a building of joint ownership

As much of large historical residences, this one was the prey of property developers who benefitted from the hotel crisis. The maintenance of such palates became a load difficult to support, especially for private individuals.

About 1934, the hotel of the park closed its doors and became a building of joint ownership for fortunate social classes.

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