# Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, Nice > The Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild is a pink Italianate palace on the isthmus of the Cap Ferrat peninsula, with views of two bays at once: Villefranche and Beaulieu. Baroness Béatrice de Rothschild built it in 1907–1912 and surrounded it with nine themed gardens: French with fountains, Spanish, Japanese, Florentine, a rose garden and more. Inside are antique furniture, paintings and rare porcelain. The gardens were designed as a ship sailing on the sea. Entry is ticketed; allow 1.5–2 hours. Web page: https://yesgo.io/france/nice/villa-ephrussi-de-rothschild - City: [Nice](https://yesgo.io/france/nice), France - YesGo score: 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 1 h 45 min - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Ticket for the villa and gardens - Hours: Daily by day, longer in summer - Gardens: 9 themed gardens - Built: 1907–1912 - Duration: ≈ 1.5–2 hours - Location: Cap Ferrat isthmus, between Villefranche and Beaulieu - Coordinates: 43.69667, 7.32847 - Facts checked: 12.11.2026 ## Key facts - **1912** — the villa was completed (source: English Wikipedia) - **9** — themed gardens (source: English Wikipedia) - **1934** — left to the Académie des Beaux-Arts (source: English Wikipedia) - **1996** — listed as a historic monument (source: English Wikipedia) ## About the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild The Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, also called the Villa Île-de-France, stands on the isthmus of the [Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat](https://yesgo.io/france/nice/saint-jean-cap-ferrat) peninsula, on a ridge between two bays. Baroness **Béatrice de Rothschild**, of the famous banking family and wife of the banker Maurice Ephrussi, built it in **1907–1912** to designs by the architect Aaron Messiah. The baroness filled the house with antique furniture, Old Master paintings, sculpture and one of the finest collections of rare porcelain. On her death in **1934** she left the villa and its collections to the Académie des Beaux-Arts of the Institut de France, and the house and gardens have been open to the public ever since. It has been a historic monument since 1996. ## What to see - **The French garden** — a pool, fountains and a 'Temple of Love' on the hill. - **The Spanish garden** — a shady courtyard with a fountain and amphorae. - **The Japanese garden** — little bridges, lanterns and bamboo. - **The Florentine garden** — a stairway, a grotto and a view of Villefranche. - **The rose garden** — hundreds of roses in bloom season. - **The villa's rooms** — 18th-century furniture, paintings and porcelain. ## Nine gardens **Nine gardens** surround the villa, each on a theme: French, Spanish, Japanese, Florentine, Provençal, exotic, a stone garden, a rose garden and a Sèvres garden. They were created in 1905–1912 under the landscape architect Achille Duchêne. The gardens were conceived as a **ship** sailing on the sea: from the villa's loggia, like a captain's bridge, water is visible on every side. The baroness was inspired by a voyage on the liner Île de France, and her thirty gardeners once wore sailors' uniforms with red-pompom berets. The largest is the **French garden** behind the villa: a long pool, fountains, water lilies and a cypress-covered hill topped by a copy of the Temple of Love from Versailles. > **When to come** The best time is spring, when the rose and Provençal gardens bloom, and early autumn. In the French garden the **musical fountains** play every 20 minutes, jets 'dancing' to classical music, so don't miss them. Arrive at opening, as tour groups come later in the day. There's a tea room with a terrace overlooking the bay. ## Inside the villa The ground-floor state rooms of the pink palace are open to visitors. They hold 18th-century furniture, tapestries and Old Master paintings, and display cases of rare **porcelain** from Sèvres, Meissen and Vincennes that the baroness collected all her life. The interiors keep the feel of a lavish Belle Époque home: a colonnaded patio under a glass roof, the baroness's boudoir and salons overlooking the gardens and sea. An audio guide tells the story of the villa and its owner. ## The villa today The villa belongs to the Académie des Beaux-Arts and is open year-round. Each June it holds **Painters' Day**, when artists come to paint in the gardens. In summer an open-air opera festival takes place in the gardens, with exhibitions in the rooms. The villa is also hired for weddings, receptions and filming, so parts of the gardens are sometimes closed; check the website before you go. ## How to get there 1. By bus from Nice to the stop by the villa on Cap Ferrat, ≈ 30–40 minutes. 2. By train from Nice to Beaulieu-sur-Mer, ≈ 15 minutes, then a 20–25-minute uphill walk. 3. From Villefranche-sur-Mer, 25–30 minutes on foot along the road to the peninsula. 4. By car, with a small car park at the entrance. ## Tips for your visit Allow an hour and a half to two hours for the villa and gardens. Start with the gardens while they're quiet and save the rooms for the heat of the day. The musical fountains are best seen from the loggia or the tea-room terrace. The villa pairs naturally with a walk on the Cap Ferrat coastal path or a visit to [Villefranche-sur-Mer](https://yesgo.io/france/nice/villefranche-sur-mer) and [Èze](https://yesgo.io/france/nice/eze), all close together on the same coast. Garden paths have steps and slopes in places, but the main avenues are pushchair-friendly. Photos are allowed in the gardens, and without flash in the rooms. ## Before you go Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser. - [ ] Buy a villa and gardens ticket - [ ] Catch the musical fountains - [ ] Find the Japanese garden - [ ] Climb to the Temple of Love - [ ] Have tea overlooking the bay ## Places in Nice: compare and choose Places in Nice rated by YesGo. - [Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild](https://yesgo.io/france/nice/villa-ephrussi-de-rothschild) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 45 min · Villa and gardens ticket ## Don't mix it up The Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild is the pink villa with gardens on Cap Ferrat; the Villa Kérylos is a Greek-style villa by the sea in neighbouring Beaulieu-sur-Mer. ## Tips - Open time beats the groups. - Fountains every 20 minutes. - Spring blooms. - Check closures online. ## Questions ### How much is entry to the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild? A ticket covers the villa and gardens; see the official website for current prices. ### How long do I need at the villa? About an hour and a half to two hours. ### When do the musical fountains play? In the French garden, usually every 20 minutes. ### How many gardens does the villa have? Nine themed gardens, from French to Japanese. ### How do I get to the villa from Nice? By bus to Cap Ferrat, or by train to Beaulieu and on foot. ## How we checked Facts from English Wikipedia. Prices, hours, the fountain schedule and garden closures weren't confirmed with an official source — hence the 'checking' badge. ## Sources - English Wikipedia: Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild - Villa official website, villa-ephrussi.com --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.