Let’s take a little tour with the association “Beaulieu Historique” and its president, Marc Doin, around Beaulieu-sur-mer where some enthusiasts from the area have been collecting documents for about twenty years to share with both locals and distant connoisseurs from around the world to appreciate this small town of fewer than 4,000 inhabitants.
NP: Hello Marc Doin, you are the president of “Beaulieu Historique”, can you introduce your association? Its founding date, its founding members..?
Marc Doin: The association has existed since April 1990. The founding members who started the adventure with me are Thierry Garbatini, Evariste Chiorri, Mireille Fontana, Patrick Evesque, Christian Bovis, Robert Giancecchi. And as honorary members, the Mayor of Beaulieu and André Cane. The aim was to gather as many documents and objects as possible about Beaulieu-sur-mer for an exhibition celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the commune of Beaulieu in 1991. Then, with the creation of the André Cane Museum of Berlugan Heritage in April 2000, the association’s goal was to collect everything related to Beaulieu to feed the museum (postcards, photos, newspapers, advertisements, engravings, paintings, posters, objects, clothing, tools, books, old invoices, fauna and flora, coins, medals, underwater antiques…).
NP: What prompted you to create “Beaulieu Historique”?
M.D.: What drove us to create BH was our love for this region, admiration for the historian André Cane, and the desire to create a place where everything we’ve managed to save from Beaulieu’s past (more than 5,000 pictorial documents not counting objects ranging from Prehistory to the 21st century) could be gathered.
NP: How would you describe the commune of Beaulieu-sur-mer?
M.D.: The commune of Beaulieu is one of the smallest territories in France but with a full and rich history.
NP: Are there many enthusiasts of our Azurean heritage seeking to contact the association to share old documents or objects? Where do they come from? How did they learn about the association?
M.D.: There are constantly people interested in the history of Beaulieu: locals, French people from other departments, Italians, Belgians, English, Americans, Russians, Serbs… Information spreads by word of mouth or through the town hall which communicates the phone number of the BH president.
NP: Can you tell us about the “André Cane” museum and the famous local historian behind that name?
M.D.: The museum was established in 2000 at the Rotunda, thanks to the Scolari municipality and a group of enthusiasts. It was only fitting to name it after our great friend André Cane, the famous historian and writer to whom we owe everything, especially our initiation into the history of Beaulieu. The contact was made when, managing an antique store in Beaulieu, I sold him a hundred copies (mainly to foreigners) of his 1936 book dedicated to Beaulieu-sur-Mer. A man of such caliber is encountered only once in a century, and it’s a privilege to have known him for over 30 years.
NP: What does the coat of arms of Beaulieu Historique represent and who created it?
M.D.: The coat of arms of Beaulieu was indeed designed by André Cane in 1941: a sun above an old olive tree, with the very beautiful motto “Pax in pulchritudine,” which means “peace in beauty,” harmony, perfectly encapsulating our charming little town.
NP: In the streets of Beaulieu-sur-mer, plaques with the names of certain personalities can be found, who are they? Do you have period photos of these figures?
M.D.: Indeed, with the help of the Roux municipality, the association has worked for the creation of plaques: there is the name of the passage Henry Johnston-Lavis, a famous volcanologist and archaeologist established in Beaulieu (to whom we owe the collection of Prehistory and Roman Antiquity related to our land), the plaque of Stravinsky who composed “Petrouchka” on Avenue des Anglais, Anton Chekhov who stayed where the kindergarten is now, the plaque of the Duke of Connaught on the forecourt of the Anglican Church, the plaque of Bovis and Gianetto with Fassio who created the bandstand, the plaque of General De Gaulle at Castel Fleuri… Of course, we have many photos of these figures!
NP: What events/conferences have been organized by the association? Are there any new ones planned?
M.D.: Since its creation, many events have been organized by Beaulieu Historique: heritage days, guided tours in the museum (for adults and school children), various exhibitions on the Russians, the English, the 100 years of the Bovis house, around the Jean Cocteau college, multiple conferences by André Compan, book signing sessions about a book on Marinoni, slide shows of old photographs, the quarterly publication “Lou banc de l’oulivié” directed by Thierry Garbatini… When the museum reopens its doors in a new location on Boulevard Marinoni, Beaulieu Historique will resume a cycle of exhibitions and conferences.
