Some may argue that it has been a long time coming, but at last the elegant town of Menton, located between Monaco and the Italian Riviera, is celebrating Menton’s long and rich love affair with the painter, poet, filmmaker and dramatist Jean Cocteau, with the opening of the Jean Cocteau Museum.

Menton’s association with Cocteau dates back to the 1950s, when the multi-talented artist was commissioned by the city of Menton to create various pieces of art, including the Salles des Mariages in the city hall. In gratitude of the splendid work Cocteau carried out in the city, Menton adopted the artist as an honorary citizen.

It was during this time that Jean Cocteau transformed a small and abandoned fort in Menton into a museum for his personal artwork, where he hung his own paintings, tapestries and mosaics.

On November 6, 2011, Menton opened its doors to its own Jean Cocteau Museum, located in Menton’s Old Town in a building, so striking in its aesthetical merits that it does Cocteau’s artwork the justice it deserves.

Until May 7, 2012, the Severin Wunderman Collection will be held at the Cocteau Museum. The collection has been gathered by Severin Wunderman, a well-known art lover and former owner of the Swiss luxury watch brand Corum.

The exhibition consists of more than 2,000 artworks, including ceramics, books, paintings, tapestries, drawings, manuscripts, prints and jewellery made by Cocteau himself. A handful of artworks created by fellow artists, including Modigliani, Picasso and Di Chirico, are also on display at the exhibition.

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Saint-Paul-de-Vence, situated approximately 25 kilometres from Nice, is one of the oldest medieval towns on the Cote d’Azur. Having long been a haven for the rich and famous, in the 1960s this ancient town saw many a French actor being drawn to its unusual eccentricities, including Simone Signoret, Lino Ventura and Yves Montland.

Alongside famous actors, some of the world’s most celebrated artists have lived in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, such as Marc Chagnall, and, more recently, artist lovers Arielle Dombasle and Bernard Henri Levy.

Being a well-known hive for attracting famous actors, poets and artists, it seems only natural that Saint-Paul-de-Vence is equally as renowned for its modern and contemporary art museums and galleries, the most famous being La Fondation Maeght, one of the most esteemed galleries in the south of France.

The Fondation Maeght was founded in 1964 by Marguerite and Aime Maeght, a French art collector and editor. The extensive collection housed at the Fondation Maeght includes works by some of the most important and influential artists of the 20^th century, including Joan Miro, Fernand Leger, Georges Braque and Alexander Calder.

This independently funded gallery, which relies on no state funding whatsoever, attracts more than 200,000 visitors each year and many of the art exhibitions that are put on every year in museums throughout France, in Europe and beyond, are based on Fondation Maeght collections.

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Being the epitome of elegance in almost every aspect of its existence, it stands to reason that the Cote d’Azur is home to some remarkably elegant gardens.

With such a rich source of some of the most stunning gardens in France, visitors to the French Riviera are literally spoilt for choice about what public garden to head to for a florally inspirational day out.

If you are fortunate to have thoughts such as these occupying your mind then Facconable will help you reach the road of decisiveness with three of the most magnificent jardins to be found on this stunning stretch of Mediterranean coastline.

Jardin a la Francais, Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

Conceptually shaped to represent a ship, there could not be a more fitting location, with the azure waters of the Mediterranean lapping on either side, for the garden of the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild.

Combining an eclectic mix of garden styles from around the globe, including Florentine, Spanish and Japanese, the Jardin a la Francais provides a fabulous range of flora species, international elegances and ingenious orchard formations, all of which appealed to Beatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild who conceived the whole design and project.

Jardin Exotique de Monaco

You do not need to be able to understand French to come to the conclusion that the Jardin Exotique de Monaco is exotic. This vast and varied garden offers a huge range of exotic succulents. Situated in the glamorous city of Monaco, this awe-inspiring garden provides an extensive combination of beauty, elegance and exoticness, an amalgamation that can be found in many areas of Monacan landscape and culture.

Entrance to the Observatory caves and Museum of Prehistoric Anthropology is provided via the Jardin Exotique de Monaco, all of which offer a truly remarkable day out.

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She has been dubbed as being a ‘master of photography,’ creating dreamy fashion photographs that are ‘almost like a painter’s’. She is known as a ‘legend in her own lifetime’ and one who unites all the clichés of modern photography. Who are we talking about?

The French photographer Sarah Moon of course, who, according to The Independent, has “the power to bewitch”.

For such a ‘bewitching’ photographer, who, for more than 35 years, has created some of the most ‘heart-stoppingly beautiful fashion imagery’, there could not be quite as a bewitching location than the Cote d’Azur to complement her alluring fashion photography and do her images the justice they deserve.

Until 12 February 2012, those fortunate to be on the Cote d’Azur will have the chance to see the international photography legend’s work at an exhibition in Nice, titled ‘1 2 3 4 5’.

130 pieces of her artwork, ranging from 1986 – 2000 will be on display at the exhibition, which, according to Sarah Moon, is aimed at inviting the public into her ‘personal universe’, in a ‘dream world from reality, where the evanescence of beauty, time and uncertainty are recurrent themes.’

The award-winning photographer, who started her career as a model, as had her work published in the top fashion magazines, including Vogue, Chanel, Comme des Garcons, Harper’s Bazaar, Nova and Cacharel.

Her photographs, the artist admits, have been inspired by many facets of life, including her friends, family, the landscape, personal feelings, nature, and, of course, fashion.

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Monaco’s landscape and surrounding terrain has undoubtedly influenced the urban architecture of this autonomous state.

Its narrow steep streets and rocky hills sharply protruding from the coast are conveyed in the architectural makeup of Monaco, where the buildings have been built into the hills because of a limited amount of space and because of this restriction, high-rise buildings dominate the urban landscape.

Its close proximity to the Mediterranean Ocean has also influenced the architectural landscape of this inspiring city. Local materials, such as marble, terra-cotta tiles and granite, are the visible material many buildings in Monaco have been made from.

Monaco, like the rest of the Cote d’Azur, enjoys a mild year-round climate. Being located on the Mediterranean coastline, temperatures rarely fall below 8 degrees Celsius in the winter and can soar well into the 30s and 40s during the summer months. Because of its warm climate, Monaco was built with a huge emphasis on public spaces and outdoor living. Squares, terraces and balconies, therefore dominate the urban character of this independent municipal.

The architecture and urban planning of Monaco that has been so obviously influenced and shaped by its geographical location has inspired many a city and town sharing the same stunning and unique geographical attributes of Monaco. Many other Mediterranean communities, in countries such as France and Spain, that also enjoy a year-round mild climates focus on outdoor living as being a priority of its architecture.

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