Le Château de la Napoule

Originally built in 1387 by the Counts of Villeneuve, the Château de la Napoule rises directly above the Mediterranean shoreline in Mandelieu-la-Napoule, offering one of the most striking coastal silhouettes on the French Riviera. Over the centuries, the medieval fortress went through multiple transformations and periods of decline, but its true rebirth came in 1918 when American artists Henry and Marie Clews purchased the ruins. Starting in 1919, they undertook a visionary reconstruction that blended authentic medieval remnants with an imaginative reinterpretation of neo-medieval architecture. Henry Clews infused the site with sculptural fantasies, symbolic motifs and whimsical carvings, while Marie Clews designed the terraced gardens, creating a refined landscape where French formal geometry meets Mediterranean vegetation and sea views. The result is a total work of art: an architectural ensemble where stone, sculpture, garden design and surrounding nature form a coherent and poetic environment. Today, the château operates as both a historic monument and a center for artistic creation, hosting exhibitions, residencies and cultural events that continue the Clews’ legacy of intertwining heritage and contemporary art.