History and Art

A historic and charming residence

The history of Villa Garnier begins in 1871, when the architect Charles Garnier, famous for having built the Monte Carlo Casino and the Paris Opera, visited Bordighera and fell in love with it, so much so that he decided to build his winter residence there.

The Villa was finished in 1873 and after some time Garnier's family began to spend the cold months there; During these stays, the architect often received his artist friends, who helped to adorn the ceilings and walls with paintings depicting cherubs, flowers and animals. Among the painters, there is also Paul Baudry, of whom you can see two wonderful frescoes.

The Villa was then enriched with sculptures and works of art, including the fresco of the "Cage aux lions", the room that has now been converted into a chapel, and which depicts the Villa itself portrayed at the end of the 1800s.

Upon the death of Garnier and his family, the Villa was left to the Sociètè de Gèographie of Paris; after a few passages, the property passed to the Diocese of Ventimiglia. Since 1954 it has been owned by the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Aosta.