The town ofJuan-les-Pins is in the commune of Antibes; theSophia Antipolis technology park is northwest of it. In 2020, the commune had a population of 74,709, making it Alpes-Maritimes's second-most populated.
Traces of occupation dating back to the earlyIron Age have been found[8] in the areas of thecastle andcathedral. Remains beneath the Holy Spirit Chapel show there was an indigenous community with ties with Mediterranean populations, including the Etruscans, as evidenced by the presence of numerous underwater amphorae and wrecks off Antibes.[9] However, most trade was with the Greek world, via thePhocaeans of Marseille.
Current research suggests that Antipolis was founded relatively late in classical Greek period (4th century BC), to benefit from the protection of Marseille with its trade routes along the coast and strongholds like Olbia atHyères, and trading posts such as Antipolis itself and later Nikaia; it is mentioned byStrabo.[12]
The exact location of the Greek city is not well known. Given Greek colonial practices, it is likely that it was set at the foot of the rock of Antibes, in today's old city.[13]
Fontveille Aqueduct; section of underground vaultBouillide aqueduct
The dust eventually settled to leave Antibes within the territory of theCounty of Provence, itself part of theKingdom of Burgundy-Arles and from 1033 theHoly Roman Empire. In the tenth century the coastal areas of Provence were menaced by 'Saracen' raiders fromMuslim Spain, who were finally driven out whenCount William I of Provence captured their stronghold atFraxinetum in 975. William rewarded the knights who had fought for him in this campaign byenfeoffing them with the liberated lands in southern Provence. One of these knights was a certain Rodoald, who became Lord of Antibes.[15]
Rodoald's great-grandson Raimbaud appears to have relocated inland toGrasse around 1050, andhis descendants [fr] sold the Lordship of Antibes to the bishopric during the episcopate of Bishop Bertrand (fl.1166-76).[16][17]
During this period Antibes was still being raided periodically by Saracen pirates, and in 1124 they burned downAntibes Cathedral. The marauders continued to prey on the town over the following century, and in 1244 the Prince-Bishops of Antibes moved to Grasse to escape their depredations. Theyremained there for the next five centuries, despite an attempt to lure them back to Antibes by rebuilding the cathedral in 1250.[18][19][20]
When theWestern Schism began in 1378, splitting the Catholic world between two rival popes, the Bishop of Grasse backedPope Urban VI even thoughMarie de Blois, mother of and regent to the infantCount Louis II of Provence, was a supporter of Urban's enemyAntipope Clement VII. In 1383 Marie therefore confiscated the Lordship of Antibes from the Bishops of Grasse and two years later awarded it to the brothers Marc and Luc Grimaldi, of theGenoeseHouse of Grimaldi. The new Grimaldi lords built theChâteau Grimaldi as their residence in the town.[21]
After the deaths of the Grimaldi brothers (Marc in 1398 and Luc in 1409), control of the Lordship of Antibes passed to five co-heirs. As a result of this fragmentation of power, the actions of individual local lords became increasingly irrelevant to the town's history, with the higher authority of the Count of Provence assuming greater significance instead.[22]
With the death in 1481 ofCount Charles III, Provence was inherited byKing Louis XI of France and thereby annexed toFrance. As Antibes was in the far southeast of the County of Provence it therefore became the border town at France's southeastern extremity, guarding the frontier with theCounty of Nice, which was part of theSavoyard state. As such it was on the front line during theItalian Wars waged by France againstEmperor Charles V, and was sacked in 1536 byAndrea Doria, a Genoese admiral in imperial service.[19]Henry II of France therefore ordered the construction ofFort Carré in 1550 to guard the town against any future attacks, and the citadel was later reinforced by the renowned French military engineerVauban.[23][19]
In December 1746, during theWar of the Austrian Succession, anAustro-Savoyard army under the command ofMaximilian Ulysses Browne invaded France andbesieged Antibes, subjecting the town to a heavy bombardment. The arrival of French reinforcements, and a revolt against the Austrian garrison atGenoa, obliged Browne to lift the siege on 1 February 1747, but by that point his guns had levelled 350 houses and also destroyed the cathedral again. The latter was subsequently rebuilt byLouis XV of France, and this version of the building is the one that has survived to the present day.[24][18][19]
On 1 March 1815,Napoléon Bonaparte landed on the beach atGolfe-Juan, 5 km southwest of Antibes, having escaped exile on the island ofElba. He hoped for a warm welcome in Antibes, which had been supportive ofhis regime, but the townspeople closed their gates to him and he was therefore obliged to move on northward without stopping. He successfully reachedParis and seized power again, only to be conclusively defeated at theBattle of Waterloo. TodayGolfe-Juan marks the beginning of theRoute Napoléon, which traces the path taken by the emperor on his return from exile.[19] TheHôtel de Ville was erected in Cours Masséna in 1828.[25]
By theFirst World War, it had been connected by rail with Nice and most of its fortifications had been demolished to make way for new residential districts.[20] In 1926, the oldChâteau Grimaldi was bought by the local municipality and later restored for use as a museum. For six months in 1946, it was the home of the famous artistPablo Picasso.[26][27][28]
On 25 May 1999, the town was the first in thedepartment to sign the State Environment Charter, which pledges to actively conserve the natural environment.[citation needed]
Sport is an important part of the local culture; the town hosts the National Training Centre for basketball. The now demolishedJean Bunoz Sports Hall hosted several games of the1999 FIBA EuroBasket. The city is home toOlympique Antibes, a professional basketball team of France's top divisionLNB Pro A, which plays its home games at theAzur Arena Antibes.
The town is also home to theAntibes 6 Day Race and the Antibes Yacht Show.
The town has various athletic associations and host a fair in September at Fort Carré that allows residents to meet the various athletic associations and explore their offerings.[29]
The Théâtre Antibea, Théâtre des Heures Bleues and Café Théâtre la Scène sur Mer all offer a variety of performances from orchestra music to dramatic plays. Music of all types, from live jazz to DJs spinning techno, can be found in the bars and nightclubs and there are a number of festivals and special outdoor concerts during the summer. Jazz is still the speciality around here.[citation needed]
Le Nomade, byJaume Plensa, Bastion St-Jaume, Antibes
Antibes and Juan les Pins host a number of festivals, mainly during the summer months. There's not much in the way of traditional cultural festivals in Antibes; most of the festivals focus on music and contemporary activities.
Jazz à Juan Since its inception in 1960, the festival has attracted many jazz artists each year to play outdoors. (July).
Antibes Yacht Show
The Antique Show of Antibes attracts thousands of collectors for two weeks in April.
Voiles d'Antibes is one of the world's biggest gatherings of old teak and brass sailing vessels.[citation needed] They converge on the port for one of the most regal regattas in the Mediterranean (June).
The Saint Peter Celebrations[30] is the annual celebration of the patron saint of fishermen. A colourful procession through the town is followed by all the local fishermen adorning their boats and floating along the coast (June).
The Festival of Notre Dame de Bon Port begins on the first Thursday of July and continues to the following Sunday, celebrating Notre Dame de Bon Port, the local manifestation ofthe Virgin Mary. At sunrise on the Thursday a mass is held in the chapel next to the Garoupe lighthouse and fishermen dressed in traditionalsailors' outfits subsequently carry the statue of Notre Dame de Bon Port from the chapel (where it resides for most of the year) down the Chemin de Calvaire toAntibes Cathedral at the head of a large procession. The statue remains in the cathedral for the remaining four days of the festival, which includes multiple masses, a torchlit procession through the town on the Saturday evening, and parties at whichpissaladière is traditionally eaten.[31][32]
The Festival of Sacred Music takes place in Antibes Cathedral, which has renowned acoustics. Sacred music is the theme of this popular festival, which attracts huge crowds each year (January).
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This museum sits atop the Promenade Amiral de Grasse in the old Bastion St Andre, a 17th-century fortress. The museum's collection focuses on the classical history of Antibes. Many artifacts, sculptures andamphorae found in local digs and shipwrecks from the harbour are displayed here.
Naval Museum of Napoleon
Housed in a 17th-century stone fort and tower, this museum presents a collection of Napoleonic memorabilia, paintings and naval models. Several wall paintings show historic moments in Napoleon's reign and there are also pieces of his clothing including one of the hats he wore.
Picasso Museum
ThePicasso Museum houses one of the world's greatest Picasso collections: 24 paintings, 44 drawings, 32 lithographs, 11 oils on paper, 80 pieces of ceramics, two sculptures and five tapestries.
La Tour Museum
This small museum in the centre of town brings the contemporary history of Antibes to life through its exhibit of costumes, tools, photographs and other objects used by the local people.
Absinthe Museum
TheAbsinthe Museum is located in a basement in the Roman foundations of Old Antibes. It is dedicated to the manufacture and appreciation of this green liqueur.
The Exflora Park is a five-hectare (12 acres) garden open to the public. Next to the large olive grove, there are different styles of Mediterranean gardens, from ancient Rome to the exuberant Riviera of the 19th century. Fountains and ponds stretch along the terrace, making a waterway 500 metres (1,600 ft) long. Antibes is renowned for rose production, and rose bushes line the path leading to the sea. The exotic garden and palm grove is reminiscent of thebelle époque,[citation needed] when English gardeners succeeded in planting flowers that bloom in winter, the season when the aristocracy visited theCôte d'Azur.
A little further on is the Théâtre de Verdure, inspired by Italian gardens, and a panoramic viewpoint with a view of the sea and the Iles des Lerins. In the style of Provençal gardens of the 18th century, there is a maze with sculpted hedges. Further on, Islamic gardens are featured, with an orange grove where the ground is patterned with terracotta irrigation pipes similar to those in the celebratedSeville Cathedral in Spain. The vegetable gardens and orchards in the Arsat are planted in hollows as inMorocco to protect them from the sun and maximise shadow and humidity. A representation of a Moroccan house pays homage to the painter Majorelle, creator of the blue garden inMarrakesh. In another area, the winter garden contains plants that flower in winter, such asmimosa andcamellias.
The Eilenroc Gardens
Villa Eilenroc was built on a rock in the middle of a virtual desert. The area was transformed into a garden through the patience and talent ofJacques Greber, landscape architect and consultant to the Great Exhibition inNew York City in 1939. He was commissioned by Mr Beaumont to create this park of 11 hectares (27 acres).
The gardens lie thirty metres above the sea with a view across the bay of the Cap. Planted with traditional Mediterranean species such as marine and parasol pines, Alep and Canary pines,cypress,oaks,olive trees,arbutus,lavender,thyme,rosemary,eucalyptus,ficus etc., as well as three kilometres (1.9 miles) ofpittosporum hedges, a whole part of the park has been created with plants found in the Antibes area in 1920.
Thuret Park
In 1857, Gustave Thuret discovered the Cap d'Antibes and bought five hectares (12 acres) of land where he built a villa and began the creation of a park. Bequeathed to the state by his heirs, theJardin botanique de la Villa Thuret is now managed by the INRA (National Institute of Agronomic Research). The collection of trees and exotic plants, and the rich earth, provide many opportunities for learning, and the cross-fertilisation of plant species that grow on the Mediterranean coast.
Marineland
In 1970, Roland de la Poype created this animal exhibition park calledMarineland in Antibes. First, it was a small oceanarium with a few pools and animals, but now it is one of the biggest in the world and receives more than 1,200,000 visitors per year. It is the only French sea park featuring two cetacean species: killer whales and dolphins.
The old lighthouse of Antibes provides views from its lofty hilltop. To get here, you must walk about one kilometre up the Chemin de Calvaire from the Plage de la Salis.
Church of the Immaculate Conception (Antibes Cathedral)
TheAntibes Cathedral was first built by Bishop Armentarius in the fifth century. It was destroyed multiple times during its history, notably by Saracen pirates in 1124 and by Austrian bombardment during the 1746-7Siege of Antibes. Its current façade dates to the rebuilding that followed the latter catastrophe, and blends Latin classical symmetry and religious fantasy. The interior houses some impressive pieces such as a Baroque altarpiece and life-sized wooden carving of Christ's death from 1447.
This large villa, set in "a forest" at the tip of the Cap d'Antibes peninsula, re-creates a 19th-century château. Since 1870 (then called Villa Soleil) the glamorous white-walledHôtel du Cap on the French Riviera has been one of the most storied and luxurious resorts in the world.[6] Guests who flocked there includedMarlene Dietrich, theDuke andDuchess ofWindsor andWinston Churchill.Elizabeth Taylor andRichard Burton conducted an affair and honeymooned there.
There are many yachting harbours which provide moorings for a range of ships ranging from fishing vessels to full sized yachts.
Port Vauban: The largest yachting harbour in Europe, with more than 2,000 moorings, can accommodate craft of more than 100 metres. This old port was the heart of the ancient Greek city of Antipolis and has a long and colourful history which includes Ligurians, Romans and Crusaders on their way to the Holy Land. Today, it is the largest marina in Europe, serving both local fishing boats and luxury yachts.
Port Galice: 542 moorings
Port de la Salis: 233 moorings
Port du Croûton: 390 moorings
Port de l'Olivette: Situated in the sheltered cove of the same name, this is a harbour for sailors and their wooden fishing boats who enjoy the old marine, provencal traditions.
City walls of Antibes by the sea shoreThe view of the Gulf of Antibes
Antibes enjoys aMediterranean climate. On average, it experiences 7.9 days per year with a minimum temperature below 0 °C (32.0 °F), no days per year with a minimum temperature below −10 °C (14.0 °F), no days per year with a maximum temperature below 0 °C (32.0 °F), and 28.2 days per year with a maximum temperature above 30 °C (86.0 °F). The record high temperature was 38.5 °C (101.3 °F) on 17 July 2003 and 1 August 2006, while the record low temperature was −4.4 °C (24.1 °F) on 1 March 2005.[36]
Climate data for Antibes (1991–2020 averages, extremes 1988–present)
^Patrice Arcelin, Antibes (A.-M.). Chapelle du Saint-Esprit. In : Guyon (J.), Heijmans (M.) éd. –D’un monde à l’autre. Naissance d’une Chrétienté en Provence (IVe-VIe siècle). Arles, 2001, p. 179 (catalogue d’exposition du musée de l’Arles antique).
^[Exposition. Marseille, musée d'histoire de Marseille. 2002-2003]Les Étrusques en mer: épaves d'Antibes à Marseille / sous la dir. de Luc Long, Patrice Pomey, Jean-Christophe Sourisseau. - Marseille : Musées de Marseille; Aix-en-Provence : Edisud, 2002. p 139
^Voyage en Massalie. 100 ans d'archéologie en Gaule du Sud. Marseille/Aix-en-Provence, musées de Marseille/Edisud, 1990, p. 142-143 (catalogue d'exposition, Marseille).
^Tisserand, Eugène (1876).Petite Histoire d'Antibes des Origines à la Révolution. Éditions des Régionalismes. p. 52.ISBN978-2-8240-0609-3.
^Tisserand, Eugène (1876).Petite Histoire d'Antibes des Origines à la Révolution. Éditions des Régionalismes. pp. 64–8.ISBN978-2-8240-0609-3.
^Tisserand, Eugène (1876).Petite Histoire d'Antibes des Origines à la Révolution. Éditions des Régionalismes. p. 80.ISBN978-2-8240-0609-3.
^Tisserand, Eugène (1876).Petite Histoire d'Antibes des Origines à la Révolution. Éditions des Régionalismes. pp. 70–80.ISBN978-2-8240-0609-3.
^abCarli, Félicien (December 2017).Antibes: A Short History of Architecture. Éditions due Cardo. p. 17.ISBN978-2-37786-006-7.
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