The historical villas of Monaco represent a significant example of residential architecture.Giordano, Nathalie Rosticher (Ed.) Monacopolis: Architecture, Urban Planning and Urbanisation in Monaco: Projects and Constructions, 1858-2012, NMNM 2013, Monaco, p13, p629, p632-639 Originally seen as symbols of Belle Epoque luxury, they were once emblematic of the Principality itself. However, by the 1950s they were viewed by Monaco's Consultative Committee on Public Works as a social anachronism. While recent years have seen a renewed appreciation within the Principality for villa architecture, the number of historic villas remaining declines each year. In 1954 the Principality possessed 688 villas;Laplace, Pierre Villas Les Anciennes et leurs Hôtes à Monaco, Editions V. Gadoury, Monaco, 2015, p1 only a small fraction of that number still survive.
Heritage and its recognition
The urban history of Monaco and its villas has, until recently, been subject to poor documentation and archiving. As of 2016, Monaco still had no official preservation laws governing historic buildings.
In 1960 Prince Rainier III established the Monaco Economic Development Corporation to attract new business to the Principality. It was successful in this, but the influx of new investors and workers resulted in a wave of demolitions of Belle Epoque villas to enable the construction of apartments and new hotels.Ring, Jim Riviera: The Rise and Rise of the Côte d'Azur, Faber & Faber, London 2011
Following major development in the 1970s, Prince Rainier III banned high rise development in the Principality. However, his successor, Prince Albert II, overturned the Sovereign Order. This, and a further influx of new residents, accelerated the destruction of the architectural heritage of single family villas for new luxury apartments. Demands for affordable public housing led to further villa demolitions. In 2013, an official publication documenting the urban history of the Principality called it a place where "architecture is temporary".
In a nation where public dissent is rare, there was significant criticism of the destruction. The 2013 demolition of the Art Deco Sporting d'Hiver ("Winter Sporting") Club building, and the rotunda of the Hôtel de Paris and its 1900 extensions, caused further dismay,Monaco's Heritage In Danger?, L'Observateur de Monaco, No141, April 2015; http://www.lobservateurdemonaco.mc/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Obs141.pdf and the establishment of protest group "Monaco Patrimoine", whose leader was quoted as saying: "Monaco is destroying, without scruples, villas from the Belle Epoque…Monaco is losing its identity", and it was termed "a genocide of memories".
In 2015, a major row broke out between the Government and the elected National Council over the demolition of the picturesque Belle Epoque-style 1931 apartment building Le Palais de la Plage (37 Avenue Princesse Grace – originally Boulevard des Bas-Moulins), which sat on the beachfront, and was replaced by an apartment building of the same name. The President of the Cultural and Heritage Mission of the National Council, Daniel Boéri, termed the demolition "brutal", and that Monegasque citizens were being treated by the Government as "children incapable of reason". While a heritage law and Heritage Institute was still in planning, he said: "That we are still at this point in 2015 is breathtaking... The example of the Palais de la Plage is a perfect illustration of its absolute necessity."
In 2015, it was revealed that Monaco state officials had, in a town planning document, identified 93 'remarkable' buildings and 29 'remarkable' facades worth preserving. However, these are to be re-evaluated on a case-by-case basis. The list also offered no guarantee of protection and was criticised for its major absences, including entire streets, and the Hotel de Paris, the Sporting d'Hiver, and the Hermitage.Monaco's Heritage In Danger?, L'Observateur de Monaco, No141, April 2015, pp60-67;http://www.lobservateurdemonaco.mc/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Obs141.pdf
Significant losses 2009 – three villas for construction of the Odeon Tower apartment tower, including "Villa Le Pavillon", 34 Avenue de l'Annonciade. 2011 – Villa du Royan and Villa Rignon at 12 and 14 Rue Bel Respiro for apartments. 2013 – six villas in rue des Giroflées: 1a "Villa La Lucioles", 7 "Villa Mancoz", 8 "Villa Les Panoramas", 10 "Villa Lisette", 12 "Villa Le Clos Fleuri" and 14 "Villa La Thébaïde"; demolished for "Les Giroflées" apartment tower, at 1 Rue des Giroflées. "Villa Unda Maris" (originally "Villa Saint Martin"), Avenue Saint Martin; demolished for apartments of the same name. 2014 – six villas in a triangular site bordered by Rue des Agaves and Rue Augustin Vento for the ''Stella'' apartments and offices, 6 Rue Augustin Vento. The villas were "Andrée Renée", "Alberte," "Félicité" "Andrée Jeanne," "Marie Angèle" and "Guidetta". Villa Esméralda, 15 Avenue de la Costa for a new synagogue. 2015 – two villas, "Les Cigognes" and "Villa Linotte", and an annex to the latter called "Pavilion". Demolished for Les Cigognes apartments, 17 Rue Louis Auréglia.Journal de Monaco, 28 March 2014, No8166 Villa Del Sol, 5 Avenue Saint Roman. 2016 – two villas: Villa Ida, 6 boulevard Rainier III, and Villa des Platanes, 2 rue Plati, plus two Belle Epoque apartment buildings "Cedars" and "Larches" at 4 and 6 rue Plati for the Villa Ida apartment project. 2017 – "Villa Carmelha", 12 Avenue Saint Roman for "Villa Carmelha" apartments; villa at 29 Rue Plati for "Soleil Du Midi" apartments, offices and retail.;"Green Light Given To "Soleil Du Midi" Building On Plati Street, Hello Monaco, 23 December 2016 four villas, "Les Myrtes" 2 Louis-Aureglia, "Villa Ciel Bleu" 2 Sainte-Dévote staircase; "Saphir Cottage" and "Villa Maria" 24 and 26 Boulevard Rainier lll, for three replacements "Sapphire","Diamond, "Rubis" and apartments "Rosier Sauvage". "Villa Roma", 13 rue Bel Respiro/18 rue Bellevue, for a diocesan house."Maison diocésaine : « On espère pouvoir l’inaugurer en 2017 ", Monaco Hebdo, 16 April 2015 2019 – Villa Les Aigles, Avenue d'Ostende: destruction and rebuild of an historic villa. Villa Augustine, 9 Bel Respiro and Villa Palazzino, 11 Bel Respiro, for an eight-storey apartment block named Villa Palazzino.L'Infochantiers En Temps Réel À Monaco
New villa development 2014 – "Villas du Sporting": three curvilinear villas on the Monte Carlo Sporting peninsula for the Société des bains de mer. Designed for long-term premium rental. Situated on the sea front, but set within a grove of Aleppo pines enhanced with citrus trees, Canary Island palms, pittosporum tobira and mastic trees. Architects: Christian Curau and Laurent Gire; landscape designer, Jean Mus. 2017 – "Villa Troglodyte", 21 avenue Hector Otto, cnr rue Honoré Labande. Unique cave-style villa on one of the last unbuilt rocks between the Ligurian and the Escorial, that was previously home to a bat colony."Ce rocher deviendra prochainement… une villa", Monaco-Matin, 17 September 2017 2025 – "Anse du Portier", the new neighbourhood being built by reclaimed land will feature ten new villas, of which seven are directly facing the sea.
List of historic and notable villas Surviving villas are listed in boldfont; those known to have been demolished are in plainfont. Those identified as "remarkable" by the state (see above) are indicated with an asterisk.* Note: new apartment/office constructions are often bestowed the same names as the villas they replaced.
AVENUE L'ANNONCIADE 28 Château de l'Annonciade – the oldest house in Monaco, constructed 1737, in the style of a feudal crenellated castle, and set within a notable garden. Demolished 1975, and its wall also realigned. Replaced by the development 'Le Point De Jour'.LaPlace, Pierre Les Anciennes Villas et Leurs Hôtes à Monaco, Èditions V. Gadoury, Monaco, 2015, p15. 29 Villa Marcelle – Balconied Belle Epoque. Demolished 2015. Replaced by state-owned apartments. 34 Villa Le Pavillon – Demolished for Tour Odeon apartment tower.
AVENUE CARLOTTA (A private road in the La Rousse quarter that is no longer in existence, having been subsumed by development.) Villa Carlotta – A very large classical mansion on an immense arcaded garden terrace, constructed 1883, and demolished 1965. Replaced by the apartment blocks Périgord 1 and 11, 6 Lacets Saint-Léon.LaPlace, Pierre Les Anciennes Villas et Leurs Hôtes à Monaco, Èditions V. Gadoury, Monaco, 2015, p129.
AVENUE DE LA COSTA 2 Villa Minerva – Rented by painter Francis Bacon. 10 Villa Pax – Constructed 1883; features a rooftop colonnaded dome pavilion. 11 Villa Walewska – A magnificent towered villa set within an immense garden on a high-walled terrace, and one of the showpieces of Monaco. Its gardens were opened to the public. Constructed for Hippolyte Auguste Marinoni, inventor of the rotary printing press. Renamed 1889 'Villa Puslowska' by Count Puslowska, and renamed again 1948 as 'La Villa Rose de France' by Edouard Rothschild. Demolished 1952, and replaced by apartments 'Palais Rose de France'.LaPlace, Pierre Les Anciennes Villas et Leurs Hôtes à Monaco, Èditions V. Gadoury, Monaco, 2015, p39–40. 11 Villa De M. Dusautoy – large three storey villa on a high stone walled terrace. 13 Villa Costa – Large attractive Mediterranean style residence. 15 Villa Esméralda – Large plain classical villa circa 1887. Converted into a synagogue with dome at its rear. Demolished 2014 and replaced by a new synagogue. 17 Villa Graziella – Belle Epoque. 19 Villa Bijou – Summer home of Baroness Orczy. Demolished 1990s. Replaced by office block of the same name. 31 Le Saint Michel*
AVENUE DE GRANDE BRETAGNE (previously AVENUE DES FLEURS) 2 Villa Belgica – Richly decorated Belle Epoque, which has lost its egg-shaped cupola. 4 & 6 – Villa Riviera Palace Four storey highly decorated Beaux-Arts villas. 5 Villa Constantine – a block combining three impressive classical villas, constructed 1889. Demolished 1974, and replaced by the apartment block 'Les Floralies'. 29 Villa Les Mimosas – 1880. Demolished 1995 and replaced by apartments named 'Villa Mimosa'.
AVENUE PRINCESSE GRACE (previously BOULEVARD DES BAS-MOULINS) 17 Villa Sauber – Grand Belle Epoque. One of the showpieces of Monaco. Currently houses one section of the New National Museum of Monaco. 35 Villa Suka Hati – Demolished 1976. Large almost-fortress structure with terrace, originally on the beach. Limewashed red, hence its nickname 'Villa Rouge'. Rented by painter Francis Bacon 1947–9. Villas du Sporting – Monte-Carlo Sporting peninsula. Three modern curvilinear villas, Numbers 1,2 and 3; 2014, architects Christian Curau and Laurent Gire; landscaper Jean Mus.
AVENUE DE LA MADONE 4 Le Metropole*
AVENUE D'OSTENDE
3 Villa Montjoie – 1900–10. Four storey balconied Belle Epoque style with roof terrace. Renovated 2003. 5 Villa Colombe 8 Villa de la Géronstère 15 Villa Les Aigles – ("The Eagles") – Exceptionally large towered Belle Epoque villa, and once a signature building of Monaco. In the 1980s, the garden was built over to enable the insertion of offices along the frontage. In 2019, the villa almost completely demolished and rebuilt in an enlarged footprint in generic form to enable greater floorspace for its owner, a bank. Villa Violette – Two storey neo-classical villa set within a very large terraced garden. Residence of Henri Wagatha, brother-in-law of François Blanc.
AVENUE DU PORT 1 et 3* Façades only AVENUE ROQUEVILLE 2 Villa Le Nid – Immense and impressive villa with large conservatory and garden, constructed 1889. Demolished 1953. The home of Sir Frederick Johnston, and where Edward VII stayed when visiting the principality.At Monte Carlo, Derry Journal, 26 August 1903, p7. AVENUE SAINT CHARLES 3 Villa Les Lierres* 8 Presbytère* 8A Eglise Saint Charles*
AVENUE SAINT LAURENT 1 Maison* 2 Maison Bregnat* 3 Villa de L'Insernia* 5 Villa Parana*