Property in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat: history, prime addresses and luxury villas on the peninsula
Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, one of the most exclusive addresses in the world
Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is one of the most exclusive places to own a home in France, and among the most exclusive in the world. The peninsula lies on the Côte d’Azur between Villefranche-sur-Mer and Beaulieu-sur-Mer, a short drive from Monaco, and is known for some of the most expensive houses on the Mediterranean.
Independent since 1904, the commune has been the subject of many articles over the years, about its illustrious residents and its price per square metre, considered by some to be the highest in France. In 2012, Cap Ferrat was ranked the second most expensive residential location in the world, after Monaco.
There are approximately 500 villas on the peninsula. Many are extensive in size and steeped in French history, alongside more contemporary homes.
From King Leopold II to the Belle Époque
The cape takes its older name, Cap Saint-Hospice, from Hospitius, a hermit who lived there in the 6th century. At the turn of the 20th century, King Leopold II of Belgium owned much of Cap Ferrat, and the estates he assembled, including Les Cèdres, are among the most famous private properties in the world today. Read more in our article on King Leopold II on the French Riviera.
The Belle Époque shaped the peninsula. In 1905, Béatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild acquired land on the isthmus joining Cap Ferrat to the coast and built her pink Italianate villa between 1911 and 1912. She bequeathed it to the Académie des Beaux-Arts in 1934, and Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild opened to the public in 1937. It is now a listed historic monument.
Other villas from this period include Villa Maryland, built in 1904 for the Wilson family, and Villa Le Parc, built for Henri Peretmère, the developer who opened up Cap Ferrat.
International buyers
Until the early 2000s, homes on Cap Ferrat were predominantly French and Italian owned. Today, buyers on the peninsula are mainly international.
Its appeal lies in its privacy, its history, and its location: Beaulieu-sur-Mer is next door, Monaco is close by, and Nice Côte d’Azur airport is less than 20 kilometres away.
Writers, actors and artists on Cap Ferrat
Writers have long chosen to retire on Cap Ferrat. W. Somerset Maugham bought Villa La Mauresque in 1928 and lived there before and after the Second World War, until his death in 1965. Blaise Cendrars, Armand Lanoux and Alain Decaux also lived on the peninsula.
Actors and artists followed, including Jean Gabin, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Gilbert Bécaud, Charles Aznavour, Jacques Tati, Bourvil, Jean Marais and Jean Cocteau.
Property in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat: the most sought-after addresses
The most sought-after addresses on Cap Ferrat include Boulevard Général de Gaulle, Chemin du Roy and Chemin du Sémaphore. Other prime streets include Boulevard Dominique Durandy, Avenue Denis Séméria, Chemin de Passable, Avenue de la Corniche, Chemin de Saint-Hospice, Promenade Maurice Rouvier, Chemin Visconti, Avenue Ephrussi de Rothschild, Avenue Bellevue, Avenue Prince Rainier III de Monaco, Boulevard Somerset Maugham, Avenue Jean Cocteau and Avenue Claude Vignon.
Orientation matters. Properties facing east towards Monaco are appreciated, but the most sought-after villas face west, across the bay of Villefranche. They benefit from better light and sun exposure, particularly in winter, and from sunsets over the water.
Mariya Kuznetsova and La Désirée
Mariya Kuznetsova (1880–1966), also known as Maria Kuznetsova-Benois, was a Russian soprano and dancer. A soloist at the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg until the Revolution of 1917, she made Paris her second home, singing at both the Opéra and the Opéra-Comique. She was celebrated for her beauty and her stage presence, and her dancing led some of her contemporaries to compare her to Isadora Duncan.
In 1912, the year she sang in Massenet’s Roma in Paris, she bought La Désirée, a recently renovated property overlooking the point of Cap Ferrat.
La Désirée today
The original La Désirée is difficult to recognise today.
Selling or renting your property on Cap Ferrat
Alexandra Lloyd Properties is a boutique agency specialising in luxury villas on the French Riviera, founded by Alexandra Connolly, a licensed French real estate agent with over 23 years of experience. If you own a property on Cap Ferrat and are considering selling or renting, we offer free property valuations.