Villa Kérylos

The Villa Kérylos is a luxurious house built between 1902 and 1908 on the Côte d’Azur for the archaeologist Theodore Reinach. Designed by architect Emmanuel-Elisée Pontremoli, it is inspired by noble houses of Delos (in the Cyclades, Greece), from the 2nd–1st centuries BC. Rather than simply copying, it reinterprets Greek architecture with modern comforts. The design centers on a peristyle (a courtyard with columns) surrounded by richly decorated rooms: mosaics, frescoes depicting Greek myths, columns of Carrara marble, exquisite furniture, carpets, and decorative details all chosen to evoke ancient Greece. Technical innovations for its time (electric lighting, plumbing, heating, etc.) were integrated discreetly, so the ancient style is preserved while offering Belle Époque comfort. When Reinach died in 1928, he bequeathed the villa to the Institut de France. It is now a museum, protected as a Monument Historique since 1966, and open to the public. Source: Institut de France / Villa Kérylos — « Villa grecque Kérylos, Beaulieu‑sur‑Mer »