A short history of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat: from fishing village to one of the most exclusive peninsulas in the world
Today Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is one of the most exclusive addresses in the world. Little more than a century ago, it was a fishing hamlet on a rocky, almost waterless peninsula. Its story is one of a handful of remarkable people who saw what it could become.
A fishing village on a bare peninsula
For centuries, life on the peninsula revolved around fishing. The cape itself was largely bare rock, with no water, and much of the vegetation that covers it today was introduced from the end of the 19th century onwards.
The hamlet of Saint-Jean was part of Villefranche-sur-Mer until 1904, when a presidential decree made it a commune in its own right, following the example of Beaulieu-sur-Mer in 1891. First called Saint-Jean-sur-Mer, it took the name Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat in 1907.
Saint Hospice and his chapel
Long before the villas, the peninsula was known for a hermit. Around 575, Hospitius, a Benedictine monk, lived here in a tower in extreme poverty, and legend attributes several miracles to him. The Chapelle Saint-Hospice was built on the site in the 11th century, restored in the 17th century by the Duke of Savoy, and is now a listed historic monument.
Beside it stands an 11.40-metre bronze statue of the Virgin, made in 1903 by the sculptor Tranquillo Galbusieri.
King Leopold II
From 1895, King Leopold II of the Belgians began visiting the peninsula and bought up much of its land, transforming Cap Ferrat into one of the great estates of the Riviera. His story is told in full in King Leopold II and Cap Ferrat.
The Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild
Between 1907 and 1912, Béatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild built her pink Italianate villa on the narrowest part of the peninsula, with nine themed gardens laid out by the landscape architect Achille Duchêne. On her death in 1934, she left the villa and its collections to the Académie des Beaux-Arts. It is open to the public and remains one of the most visited sites on the Riviera.
The Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat
The Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat opened in January 1908, in seven hectares of grounds at the tip of the peninsula. Now a Four Seasons hotel, its Club Dauphin, with its seawater pool, is open to the public.
Somerset Maugham at La Mauresque
In 1927, the writer Somerset Maugham bought the Villa La Mauresque, which he had remodelled with the help of the architect Barry Dierks. He lived there until his death in 1965, and received guests including Winston Churchill, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Ian Fleming and Noël Coward. Read more in Villa La Mauresque, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat.
The Second World War
During the Second World War, the entire population of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat was evacuated and the town was mined.
Jean Cocteau at Santo Sospir
In 1950, Jean Cocteau came to spend a few days at the Villa Santo Sospir, at the invitation of his friend Francine Weisweiller. He stayed for months, returned often, and covered its walls with frescoes, which he called tattooing the villa. Santo Sospir has been a listed historic monument since 2007.
Cap Ferrat today
Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat celebrated its 120th anniversary in 2024. It is still a village, with its port and its fishing tradition, and at the same time home to some of the most beautiful properties in the world. Find out more in Villa Maryland, Cap Ferrat and Famous architects on the French Riviera.
Explore our collection of luxury villas for rent on Cap Ferrat