Coordinates: 43°34′51″N 7°07′26″E / 43.580834°N 7.123889°E / 43.580834; 7.123889
Antibes (Provençal Occitan: Antíbol in classical norm or Antibo in Mistralian norm) is a resort town in the Alpes-Maritimes department in south-eastern France, on the Mediterranean Sea in the Côte d'Azur, located between Cannes and Nice. Integrated to Antibes Juan-les-Pins, the technological park of Sophia-Antipolis is located north east of the city.
Antibes is a leisure-industry town also called Antibes-Juan-les-Pins. The Juan-les-Pins part is the area that many tourists flock to as this is where the nightlife can be found.
History
Antibes was founded as a 5th century BCE Greek colony settled by Phocaeans from Massilia.[1] Due to its naturally protected port, the town of Antibes has long been an important trading centre. Many different people ruled over Antibes until France finally took control.
As the Greek Empire fell into decline, it began incorporating the small towns into its empire. In 43 BC, Antibes (or Antipolis, as it was then called) was officially annexed by Rome and remained so for the next 500 years. The Romans turned Antipolis into the biggest town in the region and a main entry point into Gaul. Roman artefacts such as aqueducts, fortified walls and amphora can still be seen today.
When the Roman Empire fell apart in 476, various barbarian tribes took their turn at Antibes. The main result was destruction and a long period of instability. In the 10th century, Antibes found a protector in Seigneur Rodoart, who built extensive fortified walls around the town and a castle in which to live. For the next 200 years, the town experienced a period of renewal.
Antibes’ prosperity was short-lived, as the whole region fell into disarray for several centuries. The inhabitants of Antibes stayed behind their strong city walls as a succession of wars and epidemics ravaged the countryside. By the end of the 15th century, the entire region had fallen under the protection and control of Louis XI, the king of France. Things returned to a state of relative stability, but the small port of Antibes fell into obscurity.
The area around Antibes finally emerged from its long slumber around the middle of the 19th century, as wealthy people from around Europe discovered the beauty of the place and built luxurious homes here.
In 1926, the old castle of Antibes was bought by the local municipality and restored for use as a museum. Pablo Picasso came to town in 1946 and was invited to stay in the castle. He stayed for six months, painting and drawing many pieces of art as well as crafting ceramics and tapestries. When he departed, he left all his works here, and the castle officially became the Picasso Museum.
Today sport is important and the town hosts the National Training Centre for basketball. On 25 May 1999, the town was the first in the department to sign the State Charter of the Environment, planning projects to conserve the environment and respect the quality of life. 25% of inhabitants are under 25 years of age.
Climate
Antibes enjoys a Mediterranean climate.
Beaches
The Marina Villeneuve Loubet
The rocky beaches of Antibes
There are 48 beaches along the 25 km of coastline that surround Antibes and Juan les Pins.
Museums
This museum sits atop the Promenade Amiral de Grasse in the old Bastion St Andre, a 17th century fortress. The museum's collection focuses on the classical history of Antibes. Many artifacts, sculptures and amphorae found in local digs and shipwrecks from the harbour are displayed here. The views of the sea and mountains from the promenade are also spectacular.
Housed in a 17th century stone fort and tower, this museum presents a collection of Napoleonic memorabilia, paintings and naval models. Several wall paintings show historic moments in Napoleon's reign and there are also pieces of his clothing such as one of the hats he once wore.
This museum houses one of the world's greatest Picasso collections: 24 paintings, 44 drawings, 32 lithographs, 11 oils on paper, 80 pieces of ceramics, 2 sculptures and 5 tapestries.
This small museum in the centre of town brings the contemporary history of Antibes to life through its exhibit of costumes, tools, photographs and other objects used by the local people.
From its basement location within the Roman foundations of Old Antibes, the Absinthe Museum is a must-see for any visitor to Antibes. The owners and their staff are happy to talk you through the process and teach you to appreciate the distinctly green liqueur like a fine wine.
Parks and Gardens
The Exflora Park is a five hectare garden open to the public. Next to the large olive grove, there are different styles of mediterranean gardens, from ancient Rome to the exuberant Riviera of the 19th century. Fountains and ponds stretch along the terrace, making a waterway 500 m long. Antibes is renowned for rose production, and recognising this, rose bushes line the path leading to the sea. The luxuriance of the exotic garden and palm grove is reminiscent of the belle époque, when English gardeners succeeded in planting flowers that bloom in winter, the season when the aristocracy visited the Cote d'Azur. A little further on is the Theatre de Verdure, inspired by Italian gardens, and a panoramic viewpoint with a glorious view of the sea and the Iles des Lerins. In the style of Provencal gardens of the 18th century, there is a maze with sculpted hedges. Further on, Islamic gardens are featured, with an orange grove where the ground is patterned with terracotta irrigation pipes similar to those in the celebrated Seville Cathedral in Spain. The vegetable gardens and orchards in the Arsat are planted in hollows as in Morocco, to protect them from the sun and maximise shadow and humidity. A representation of a Moroccan house pays homage to the painter MAJORELLE, creator of the beautiful blue garden in Marrakesh. In another area, the winter garden contains plants that flower in winter, such as mimosa and camellias.
Villa Eilenroc was built on a rock in the middle of a virtual desert. The area was transformed into a glorious garden through the patience and talent of Jacques Greber, landscape architect and consultant to the Great Exhibition in New York in 1939. He was commissioned by Mr Beaumont to create this luxuriant park of 11 hectares. The gardens with all their luxuriant vegetation lie thirty metres above the sea with a view across the bay of the Cap. Planted with traditional mediterranean species such as marine and parasol pines, Alep and Canary pines, Cyprus, oaks, olive trees, arbutus, lavender, thyme, rosemary, eucalyptus, ficus, etc., as well as three km of pittosporum hedges, a whole part of the park has been created with plants found in the Antibes area in 1920.
In 1857, Gustave Thuret discovered the wonderful, unspoilt Cap d'Antibes and bought five hectares of land where he built a villa and began the creation of a glorious park. Bequeathed to the state by his heirs, the Jardin botanique de la Villa Thuret is now managed by the INRA (National Institute of Agronomic Research). The superb collection of trees and exotic plants, and the rich earth, provide many opportunities for learning, and the cross-fertilisation of plant species that grow on the mediterranean coast.
Garoupe Lighthouse
The old lighthouse of Antibes provides one of the best views in the region from its lofty hilltop. To get here, you must walk about one kilometre up the Chemin de Calvaire from the Plage de la Salis. It makes for a nice half-day stroll.
Church of the Immaculate Conception
The central church in Antibes was first built in the 11th century with stones used from earlier Roman structures. Its current façade was constructed in the 18th century and blends Latin classical symmetry and religious fantasy. The interior houses some impressive pieces such as a Baroque altarpiece and life-sized wooden carving of Christ's death from 1447.
Hôtel du Cap-Eden Roc
This villa, set in "a gorgeous forest" at the tip of the Cap d'Antibes peninsula, re-creates a nineteenth-century château. Since 1870 the glamorous white-walled Hotel du Cap on the French Riviera has been one of the most storied and luxurious resorts in the world. Guests who flocked there included Marlene Dietrich, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and Winston Churchill. Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton conducted an affair and honeymooned there.
Ports
There are many yachting harbours which provide moorings for a range of ships ranging from fishing vessels to full sized yachts.
- Port Vauban: The largest yachting harbour in Europe, with more than 2,000 moorings, can accommodate craft of more than 100 metres. This old port was the heart of the ancient Greek city of Antipolis and has a long and colourful history which includes Ligurians, Romans and Crusaders on their way to the Holy Land. Today, it is the largest marina in Europe, serving both local fishing boats and luxury yachts.
- Port Galice: 542 moorings
- Port de la Salis: 233 moorings
- Port du Croûton: 390 moorings
- Port de l'Olivette: Situated in the sheltered cove of the same name, this is a harbour for sailors and their wooden fishing boats who enjoy the old marine, provencal traditions.
Culture
The view of the Gulf of Antibes
Theatre and music
The Theatre Antibea, Theatre des Heures Bleues and Café Theatre La Scene sur Mer all offer a variety of performances from orchestra music to dramatic plays. Music of all types, from live jazz to DJs spinning techno, can be found in the bars and nightclubs and there are a number of festivals and special outdoor concerts during the summer. Jazz is still the specialty around here, and the Juan les Pins Jazz Festival is one of the best in the world.
Festivals
Antibes and Juan les Pins host a number of festivals, mainly during the summer months. There's not much in the way of traditional cultural festivals in Antibes; most of the festivals focus on music and contemporary activities.
- Jazz à Juan remains one of the top jazz festivals in the world. Since its inception in 1960, it has attracted many famous Jazz artists each year to play outdoors.(July).
- The Antique Show of Antibes attracts thousands of collectors for two weeks in April. It's one of the largest shows of its kind in France (April).
- Voiles d’Antibes is one of the world's biggest gatherings of old teak and brass sailing vessels. They converge on the port for one of the most regal regattas in the Mediterranean (June).
- The Festival of Saint Peter is the annual celebration of the patron saint of fishermen. A colourful procession through the town is followed by all the local fishermen adorning their boats and floating along the coast (June).
- The Festival of Sacred Music takes place in Antibes Cathedral, which has renowned acoustics. Sacred music is the theme of this popular festival, which attracts huge crowds each year (January).
Transport
If you are a foreigner and are planning to visit Antibes then the best way to get there would be to fly to the nearest airport, which is at Nice, and then make use of the train system. The train station at Antibes is in the centre of town located close to the Antibes town centre. From the Train station it is relatively easy to make your way around.
Twin cities
See also
References
- ^ The western shores of Turkey: discovering the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts by John Freely p.91 [1]
External links
This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
