Baroness Béatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild's rose-pink, belle époque palace, the Île de France, is considered the finest on the Riviera.

The flamboyant Béatrice, Baroness Ephrussi de Rothschild (1864-1934) and daughter of the Bank of France's director, was a woman of seemingly unlimited wealth who had a passion for travel and fine art. She created her dream villa here in 1912, in the glorious style of the great palaces of the Italian Renaissance, set in immaculate gardens. It took seven years to build, on one of the most beautiful sites of the Riviera, with sea views on all sides. She named the villa after a memorable voyage on an ocean liner, the Île de France, and designed the main garden in the shape of a ship's deck with a Temple of Love on the bow. She even made her 35 gardeners dress as sailors.