Places of interest25 June 2015

#Fine Arts Museum in #Menton, #Palace Carnolès [VIDEO-PHOTO GALLERY]

Outstanding masterpieces exposed in the frame of a wonderful palace and his likewise remarkable garden.

Carnolès Palace, credit Parisette

Carnolès Palace, credit Parisette

Former summer residence of the princes of Monaco, the Carnolès museum houses a collection of paintings from the thirteenth century to the present as well as exhibitions of contemporary artists. The garden (classified "Remarkable Garden") also allows the discovery of contemporary sculptures in the middle of an exceptional collection of citrus.   

The Camolès Palace, at the west entrance of the city, deserves careful halt. It now houses a museum of paintings and a collection of remarkable quality. Even if she had not been turned into art museum, the architectural details of the former summer residence of the princes of Monaco are enough to attract the interest of the visitor. Golden doors, woodwork, stucco, finely decorated ceilings and parquet ...

This residence is a showcase for the collections of ancient and modern paintings she is currently home of: Italian primitives (the twelfth to the fifteenth centuries), Greek icons, Flemish and Dutch schools, paintings of seventeenth and eighteenth century, etc.

The set is of a beautiful eclecticism. It reflects the taste of an English amateur at the beginning of this century, Mr. Wakefield Mori, who chose to bequeath his collection to the City of Menton. The documents collected by him were intended to satisfy his love of aesthetics. Common to them is therefore an artistic quality, Mr. Wakefield Mori who makes art a personal matter. To the great benefit of future generations who can discover, in this palace open to all, the paintings and sculptures of great interest. 

History

An act of 1177 teaches us the exchange of Ventimiglias count Othon with Lérins Abbey in the presence of Béraldus, prior of St. Mary of Carnolès, of his property at Cluses up to Garavan with goods that the monks had in Albenga . This exchange was confirmed in 1182 by a bull of Pope Lucius III, which states that the priory belongs to the canons of the chapter Ventimiglia. Priory Carnolès had to be founded in the late eleventh century.

On land purchased to the monks of Lerins in 1717, Prince Antoine 1st of Monaco decided to build a palace with the character of Trianon surrounded by orchards. Tradition alleges, that the plans of Paris' Trianon reported by the Prince would have been made by Robert de Cotte and Jacques Gabriel. The palace was decorated by painters of Menton: Bressan, Puppo and Vento brothers.

The "the garden of the prince" is made in 1725 by Antoine Latour, French architect working in Monaco. A plan of this time mentions a flower garden landscaped walkways forming a star and two basins irrigated by the gushing waters. At that time the property is fenced by high walls covered with grape trellises and orange trees from Portugal. 

The kiosk of Carnolès palace is a Baroque building crowned by a hexagonal tiles cap. The first level is sober. The second adopted an order of pilasters matched variant of the Genoese caryatid order.

Between 1863 and 1876, the building hosts casino games.

It was bought in 1896 by an American, Edwards Philips Allis, who undertakes to restore its luster. He asks Hans-Georg Tersling, Danish architect based in Menton, to adapt the building into a modern housing. Two small front buildings are added on the side of the park.

The palace was listed as historical monument September 12, 1969.

Moor, Lepria, Sutherland, Terechkovitch

quote a superb "Brea" of the sixteenth century, in a completely different style "The Lady with the Dog" by Antonnus Moor, Flemish painter who worked for the Spanish court, the curious portrait of Sir Radcliffe, the great financier of Queen Elizabeth, plausibly attributed to Hillairet English painter, student of Clouet, or the "Sacrifice of Iphigenia" by Benjamin West, English painter XVII.

But the Palace Camolès also presents an important collection of modern art including paintings of the school of Paris. The enlightened amateur discovered at the beginning of the century, great painters then unknown. From "The naked Negress" of Suzanne Valadon to landscapes signed Lepria through Ms. Mori's portrait by Raoul Dufy and drawings and watercolors by Max Jacob, the course of the rooms offers a unique vision which leads to the discovery of works frankly contemporary, awarded at the twelve international art biennials of Menton.

The Palace also hosted top artistic events, who were created in 1951 under the chairmanship of Matisse and paid tribute to very big names such as Dufy, Rouault, Villon, Picasso, Chagall, Dali, Graham Sutherland, Delvaux. Thus the town acquired prestigious works including all Terechkovitch portraits of artists and the amazing "Fountain" of Sutherland.

In the Garden of the Hesperides - "remarkable garden" 

  Prince Honoré II built in the seventeenth century a residence in the center of a citrus property. Menton Masters since 1346, the Grimaldis personally owned several properties including land in the plain of Carnolès along the Gorbio brook between yhe sea and the hill of the Madonna. Prince Honoré II who loved to come to relax in Menton wanted to have a real garden. He planted the orange trees in the meadow in a star arrangement and build a modest "casin" closer to a hunting venue as to a country house. 

Antoine 1er, great-grand-son of Honoré II who had lived at the Court of the Sun King decided to build a summer residence recalling him the pomp of Versailles. Antoine Latour, Monegasque architect, responsible for adapting the project of the famous Parisian architect Gabriel, draws in 1725 a comprehensive plan with the new palace and its dependencies. The undeveloped area included a vegetable garden, an ornamental garden called "flower garden" and a large garden-park with ponds and fountains fed by two reservoirs. The wall of the large garden serves to support lemon and bitter orange trees, on  it runs also a trellis, which palisades "Portugal oranges" producing sweet oranges. If the production of the field, lemons, oranges, vegetables, hay, were subject to a lucrative trade, the property between "hermitage and tavern" is primarily a place of rest and beauty where the prince loves to breathe in spring "orange blossom and jasmine air ".

In 1961, the last owner is expropriated by the Alpes-Maritimes prefecture to create a departmental public park. The palace and garden included in the inventory of Historical Monuments in 1969, will be redeemed by the city of Menton in 1994 for the symbolic franc. The current collection of citrus is planted from 1970, through the National Agricultural Research Institute of Corsica. Following an agreement signed in 1997 with the Agricultural Research Station of San Giuliano, this garden becomes a center of acclimatization and research. Today, there are 137 varieties of citrus fruits presented on one site, including 24 sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) 6 sour orange (Citrus aurantium) 6 lemon (Citrus limon) trees......

The collection of Carnoles Palace is a testing field of the main principles of IPM. In 1999, the French Conservatory of specialized collections distinguished the "citrus collection "of this garden.

In 2005, this garden is labeled "remarkable garden".

Citrus quirk, bitter orange trees described by Risso and some blood orange varieties from the Maghreb. The aim is to bring together in this garden one of Europe's largest citrus collections. Parallel to the establishment of this nice tool for use by scientists and amateurs, the Carnolès garden is the setting of the Palace, today Museum of Fine Arts and place of tranquility.

Practical information:
Adress: 3 avenue de la Madone
Opening: every day except Tuesdays and holidays
from 10a.m. to 12p.m. and from 14p.m. to 18p.m.

Judit Neuberger

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