The book was presented and signed by Louis Mézin, Chief Curator of Heritage and Director of the museums of the city of Nice.
Built in Nice at the end of the 19th century, the Villa Masséna is a perfect example of the Belle Époque architecture of the French Riviera. Erected at the request of Prince Victor d’Essling, the grandson of Marshal of the Empire André Masséna, it was one of the main prestigious villas lining the Promenade des Anglais and remains today a living testament to the rise of vacationing by the Mediterranean.
Its sumptuous interior decoration, created by architects Hans-Georg Tersling and Aaron Messiah, reveals the lifestyle and grandeur of the aristocratic society of the early 1900s. It forms, along with the furniture and First Empire art objects that decorate the salons and the paintings that adorn the walls, a remarkable ensemble marrying the artistic ideal defined under Napoleon’s reign with the generous profusion of the Belle Époque.
Acquired by the city of Nice after the First World War, the Villa Masséna became a museum of art and history, whose garden, designed by Édouard André in 1900, is a beautiful testament to Mediterranean garden design and is now open to the public.
This book introduces us to the splendor of this mythical residence. It reveals its history and shares with us the essence of its decor. Throughout this journey, it offers, thanks to extensive iconography, a wide selection of its rich collections of objects and works of art, some of which are unique.
