Information File Tourism Office & Convention Bureau
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INFORMATION FILE TOURISM OFFICE & CONVENTION BUREAU ANTIBES JUAN-LES-PINS 60 chemin des Sables 06160 Juan-les-Pins - France Tel : +33 (0)4 22 10 60 01/10 / Fax : +33 (0)4 22 10 60 11 Email: [email protected] Site: www.antibesjuanlespins.com CONTENTS 2,600 YEARS OF HISTORY 3 From Antipolis to Antibes 4 Juan-les-Pins: Jazz and the Roaring Twenties 8 Sidney Bechet and Antibes Juan-les-Pins 10 ART AND CULTURE 11 Antibes and the Arts 12 Museums 13 Cultural sites and monuments 17 Discovery walks 19 They loved Antibes Juan-les-Pins… 27 GREAT CONFECTIONERS 31 Population, GEOGRAPHY AND climate 32 ANTIBES, TOWN OF ALL SPORTS 33 Sports 34 Water sports 35 Ports 36 ANTIBES, LEISURE ACTIVITIES 37 Marineland and its parks 38 Antibesland 40 RECEPTIVE STRUCTURES 41 Tourism 42 Sophia Antipolis Science and Technology Park 44 Nice Côte d’Azur Airport 45 EVENTS AND FESTIVALS 46 TWIN CITIES 52 SOURCES AND PHOTO CREDITS 53 2 2,600 YEARS OF HISTORY… Old Antibes 3 FROM ANTIPOLIS TO ANTIBES An exceptionally rich heritage. The history of Antibes Juan-les-Pins goes back several millennia. The site was first settled by Ligurians. It occupies a remarkable location: on one hand, a defensive site with its natural shelter; on the other, the convergence point for sailing itineraries along the coasts of Italy and Corsica. In the 5th century BC, Antipolis was founded by Phocaean Greeks, already settled in Massalia (Marseille). The name means ‘the city on the other side’, across from the Mediterranean, across from Nice (Nikaia) and also across from Corsica since ships aligned their course on the rocky Cap d’Antibes. But the hypotheses concerning the origin of the name are as numerous as they are varied. The city grew under the influence of Massalia until 44 BC, when Antipolis became Roman. During the wars between Pompey and Caesar, Antipolis supported the latter while Massalia fought alongside Pompey. Since Caesar came out the victor of this conflict, Antipolis was raised to the status of Roman municipio and obtained the right to mint their own coins. With the arrival of Christianity in the 3rd century AD, the city became a bishopric. But the town, now named Antiboul, would soon experience difficult times, as Visigoths, Saracens, hordes of Barbarians spread terror until the 10th century. The insecurity reigning in the city incited the Pope to transfer the bishopric to Grasse in 1244 and, in 1385, the Grimaldi family were appointed Royal Captains of Antibes by Queen Marie. The year 1482 was an important turning point in the city’s history: Provence became part of the Kingdom of France with Antibes on the border. In the 17th century, French King Louis XIV entrusted Field Marshal Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban with modernizing the fortifications, completely reshaping the city. These works were performed by the French military engineer Niquet. In the winter of 1746/1747, the town withstood a siege by Austrian and Sardinian troops and the English fleet for 58 days. In 1815, it closed its doors to Napoleon on his return from the Isle of Elba and was rewarded for its loyalty to King Louis XVIII, who restored its title of ‘Bonne Ville’, withdrawn by the Emperor. The town also earned a new coat of arms, with fleurs-de-lis. Its geographic location and fortifications gave it considerable strategic importance, which it lost in 1860 when the Comté de Nice became part of France, which led to the creation of the Alpes-Maritimes département. This resulted in the border moving several kilometres eastward. In 1887 the appearance of the word ‘Côte d’Azur’ was a turning point for the entire Riviera and thus for Antibes and the very young district of Juan-les-Pins. 1889 marked the opening of Grand Hôtel du Cap. In 1893 the opening of the ‘Grand Hôtel’ in Juan-les-Pins announced the coming development of a major tourist resort. Little by little villas were built and Juan-les-Pins grew into a splendid seaside resort between the already renowned towns of Nice and Cannes. Antibes began to feel the need to burst out of its ramparts and undertook to demolish them in 4 1895. The production of olive oil, wine and silkworm farming gradually yielded to horticulture and tourism. For Juan-les-Pins 1907 was a key date, when the regulation of gambling in casinos put an end to years of prohibition; Juan-les-Pins opened its Municipal Casino one year later. The district also became home to the first international school for hydroplane pilots... an attraction for multitudes of curious visitors. But in 1914 World War I put a stop to all development. After the conflict was over, horticulture underwent a real boom and in 1925 the seaside resort innovated with the summer season. Until then, the resorts in the region were open only in winter, but Édouard Baudoin’s initiative for Juan-les-Pins was a real success; Cannes and Nice would soon follow suit. The American tycoon Frank Jay Gould invested a great deal of his enormous wealth in the resort. In Antibes the Port underwent large-scale changes, with the creation of a hydrocarbon depot, making it specialized in the reception, storage and redistribution of fuel. The thirties were marked by major restructuring and events: broadening the roads, modernizing the signs, Soccer World Cup (1938: Sweden 8/Cuba 0). At the end of the 1930s, the threat of war did not make the summer tourists flee, quite the contrary. In 1936, there was an onslaught, with the first paid holidays, while the fashionable salons greeted the Fitzgeralds, Rudolf Valentino, Mistinguett, Hemingway and ‘La Belle Otéro’. In 1940, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s death seemed to mark the end of this festive era, ushering in the War. As soon as the hostilities were over, Antibes Juan-les-Pins enjoyed a rebirth; tourists flocked here and famous names settled in the commune, such as Nikos Kazantzakis, author of Zorba the Greek and The Last Temptation of Christ, and Pablo Picasso who painted in Château Grimaldi. A succession of major events made Juan-les-Pins a very prestigious destination: International Bridge Festival, water-skiing world championship. Summer visitors danced to the strains of Jazz and Sidney Bechet got married in Antibes on 17 August 1951. French rock stars Claude François and Johnny Hallyday sang their first songs here, while other famous musicians - Gilbert Bécaud, Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, Count Basie and Dizzy Gillespie - livened up the evenings of Juan-les-Pins. In 1960 the new decade opened with the creation of the first Jazz Festival, a visit from General de Gaulle, while the poet Jacques Prévert stayed in the old town and the great British writer Graham Greene decided to settle in Antibes, where he remained until his death in 1991. In 1963, the Rose d’Or Festival provided an occasion for discovering talented new singers. In 1968, the fun continued in Juan-les-Pins, thanks to Dalida, Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin. In 1970, the sea was in the spotlight with the opening of Marineland, Europe’s largest marine park and research centre. In the following decade, many international sporting events took place (gymnastics, skeet shooting), and major companies located in the industrial zone of Les Trois Moulins. 5 The population increased and the city expanded inland. But also on the sea: in 1971 Port Vauban was inaugurated, the largest yachting harbour in Europe for the tonnage of its boats. It was one of the first European ports to receive Pavillon Bleu status. The 1980s were the years of decentralization, but also of major improvements in the urban planning, allowing Antibes to remain a centre for ‘joie de vivre”. The year 1985 was marked by a surprise: 40 cm (16 inches) of snow, in the city and along the entire coast; some people even indulged in cross-country skiing on the beach. The municipality also received the visit of honoured guests: like François Mitterrand, then President of France, and many other statesmen attending the 14th meeting of heads of state of France and Africa in 1987. Two years later, the European finance ministers also gathered in Antibes. In 1989 the Grand Prix Littéraire de la Ville d’Antibes Jacques Audiberti was created: the Jury, chaired by Michel Déon of the Académie Française, rewards each year a work inspired by the Mediterranean. The nineties were a time for modernization and preparation for the year 2000 with Antibes Juan-les-Pins ranking second largest city in the département after Nice. - 1991: Opening of the new Nova-Antipolis business centre at the city’s gates; works in the streets and along the ramparts to enhance the city’s heritage. - 1996: La Salis water treatment plant was rewarded by the Association Française pour l’Amélioration de la Qualité des Eaux. - 1997: purchase by the city and restoration of the Fort Carré; the ‘Station Voile’ label of excellence granted to the city and the hosting of ‘Les Voiles d’Antibes’ regattas with the most splendid old sailing vessels and Class JI. - 1997 & 1999: expansion and modernization of the medical centre. - 1998: The refuse incinerator was put in compliance with European standards. - 1999: Antibes was granted the title of second most athletic town in France. - 2000: Opening of a new killer whale tank at Marineland, with a glass wall 64 metres long and 4.60 metres high. - 2001: Creation of a marine sanctuary in the Mediterranean - 84,000 m2 at sea: from Toulon to the Northeastern tip of Sardinia (Asinara) and La Maddalena, Northeastern Sardinia to the Italian coast.