Explore the French Riviera from a new perspective, that of its illustrious literary and artistic hosts through our literary city guide.
Menton
To do : Enter the wedding hall decorated by Jean Cocteau at the Town Hall, visit the Bastion Museum (where his works are exhibited) and stroll on the Esplanade des Sablettes facing the sea.
Why : Jean Cocteau had a profound impact on Menton. He left an abundant and sunny pictorial work, between Mediterranean mythology and intimate meditation.
To be read : The Difficulty of Being, Jean Cocteau
Jean Cocteau – La Difficulté d’être
7,70 €LIVRE DE POCHE
Beaulieu-sur-Mer
To do : Contemplate the coast from the Bristol Gardens, spot the harbor from the sea as Guy de Maupassant did on his boat.
Why : Maupassant wrote from the Bel-Ami bridge, fascinated by the landscapes of Beaulieu.
To be read : Afloat and/or La vie errante, Guy de Maupassant
Guy de Maupassant – Sur l’eau
5,80 €AMAZON
Guy de Maupassant – La vie errante
9,50 €FNAC
Èze-sur-Mer
To do : Climbing the Nietzsche trail between sea and village, a vertiginous walk of light and silence.
Why : In 1883, Nietzsche lived in Èze-sur-Mer and took this path every day, drawing inspiration for Thus Spoke Zarathustra.
To be read : Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Nietzsche – Ainsi parlait Zarathoustra
4,90 €AMAZON
Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat
To do : Visit Villa Santo Sospir, “tattooed” by Jean Cocteau with mythological frescoes.
Why : This is where he left his most intimate work, combining poetry, drawing, symbols and friendship.
To be read : Le Passé défini, Jean Cocteau
Jean Cocteau – Le Passé défini
28,70 €FNAC
Villefranche-sur-Mer
To do : Drink a coffee facing the harbor on the terrace of the Welcome Hotel, stroll along the port, visit the Saint-Pierre chapel decorated by Jean Cocteau, and observe the changing light from the heights.
Why : In the 1930s, Vladimir Nabokov stayed regularly in Villefranche. Passionate about butterflies, he finds in this Mediterranean light the ideal setting for his observations. The Welcome Hotel, where he is said to have stayed, is part of the myth. Jean Cocteau, for his part, transformed the modest fisherman's chapel into a total work of art in 1957.
To be read : Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov (incipit)
Vladimir Nabokov – Lolita
10,50 €AMAZON
Nice
To do : Stroll along the Promenade des Anglais, visit the Louis-Nucéra library, and sit in a café in the old town.
Why : Nice is the birthplace of J.M.G. Le Clézio and a recurring decor for Patrick Modiano and Didier van Cauwelaert.
To be read :
- The African or Raga, J.M.G. Le Clézio
- Un aller simple, Didier van Cauwelaert
- The Street Of Dark Shops, Patrick Modiano
J.M.G. Le Clézio – L’Africain
8 €AMAZON
J.M.G. Le Clézio – Raga
6,30 €AMAZON
Didier van Cauwelaert – Un aller simple
6,90 €FNAC
Patrick Modiano – Rue des boutiques obscures
8 €FNAC
Saint-Paul-de-Vence
To do : Linger at the Golden Dove and stroll through the streets dotted with workshops and galleries.
why : An important meeting place between artists and writers, frequented by Prévert, Aragon, Le Clézio...
To be read :
- Poisson d'or and/or Onitsha, J.M.G. Le Clézio
- Paroles, Jacques Prévert
J.M.G. Le Clézio – Poisson d’or
8,60 €AMAZON
J.M.G. Le Clézio – Onitsha
9,50 €FNAC
Jacques Prévert – Paroles
8,50 €AMAZON
Cap d'Antibes
To do : Stay or have a drink at Belles Rives, a former Saint-Louis villa where the Fitzgerald couple stayed.
Why : This place embodies the golden age of the Roaring Twenties and is used as a setting for Tender is the Night. Modiano also located Villa Triste.
To be read :
- Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Villa Triste by Patrick Modiano
F. Scott Fitzgerald – Tendre est la nuit
9,20 €FNAC
Patrick Modiano – Villa Triste
8 €AMAZON
Juan-les-Pins
To do : Walking the quiet streets at the back of the beach, where 1950s villas evoke Sagan's summers.
Why : In 1953, Françoise Sagan wrote Bonjour Tristesse in a villa rented by his parents.
To be read : Bonjour Tristesse by Françoise Sagan
Françoise Sagan – Bonjour Tristesse
6,40 €FNAC
Saint-Tropez
To do : Explore the coves and pine forests, take the coastal roads between Ramatuelle and Saint-Tropez.
Why : After his success, François Sagan regularly settles in these places that have become the intimate settings for his novels.
To be read : Scars on the Soul, A certain smile, and/or Un profil perdu, Françoise Sagan
J.M.G. Le Clézio – L’Africain
8 €AMAZON
J.M.G. Le Clézio – Raga
6,30 €AMAZON
Didier van Cauwelaert – Un aller simple
6,90 €FNAC
Patrick Modiano – Rue des boutiques obscures
8 €FNAC
Cover: © Getty Images
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