The lovers' castle
Ruins a sculptor and his wife rebuilt by hand over a lifetime.
Florian Pépellin — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Rüdiger Stehn from Kiel, Deutschland — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Yves Tennevin — CC BY 4.0 · Giles Laurent — CC BY-SA 4.0
Henry Clews, a New York banking heir, abandoned money for sculpture and satire of his old world; Marie redesigned life around him. They lived a deliberately 'medieval' castle life of costumes and rituals, and are buried there by detailed testament — the tale itself is half the place's worth.
For lovers of storied places: clearly yes — nothing on the Riviera resembles it, and the train ride is a coastal outing itself. Beach-and-celebrity people should stay in Cannes.
The full tour if its times fit your arrival — the halls and their sculptures are the essence of the strangeness. If missed, gardens and towers from outside make a fine standalone visit at half price.
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On a rock over the sea west of Cannes stands a castle saved by a strange love: in 1918 the rich American sculptor Henry Clews and his wife Marie bought a ruined fourteenth-century fort and spent their lives rebuilding it with their own hands and imagination — towers, arches and carvings 'outside time' as they wished, their motto 'Once upon a time' cut everywhere. The result is a unique dream-castle: Gothic art through American fantasy, Henry's grotesque sculptures filling the halls, and Marie's terraced gardens on the sea officially ranked among France's most beautiful — the couple buried in their tower as they asked. Today it is an arts foundation hosting residencies from around the world, visited on short tours, the gardens freely — an ideal half-day from Cannes by the coastal train.
Ruins a sculptor and his wife rebuilt by hand over a lifetime.
Grotesque, wry creatures filling halls and doorways.
Sea terraces officially among France's loveliest gardens.
Avenue Henry Clews, 06210 Mandelieu-la-Napoule