Villa Santo Sospir
In 1950, the Parisian socialite Francine Weisweiller invited artist Jean Cocteau to her Cap-Ferrat villa. The canny Cocteau didn’t just stay the evening: he sojourned for the next 11 years, frescoing the entire property in dreamy wall-sized paintings. Today the villa is preserved in situ—it’s like a party for Cocteau’s friends Picasso, Man Ray, and Greta Garbo has been paused midway through. The property’s bilingual guide and caretaker is Eric Marteau. A genial host, he worked as Weisweiller’s nurse before becoming a trusted friend to her daughter, Carole, the current owner of this one-of-a-kind villa. Advance bookings with Eric are both necessary and simple to arrange.
In 1950, the Parisian socialite Francine Weisweiller invited artist Jean Cocteau to her Cap-Ferrat villa. The canny Cocteau didn’t just stay the evening: he sojourned for the next 11 years, frescoing the entire property in dreamy wall-sized paintings. Today the villa is preserved in situ—it’s like a party for Cocteau’s friends Picasso, Man Ray, and Greta Garbo has been paused midway through. The property’s bilingual guide and caretaker is Eric Marteau. A genial host, he worked as Weisweiller’s nurse before becoming a trusted friend to her daughter, Carole, the current owner of this one-of-a-kind villa. Advance bookings with Eric are both necessary and simple to arrange.
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