Welcome to Villefranche-sur-Mer
Nestled in between Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat and Nice, Villefranche-sur-Mer provides a picturesque base from which to explore the region, its food, local tourist attractions and enjoy the beautiful weather that the South of France has to offer.
The village is ideally placed to travel around and discover the South of France. It is on a train line that runs from Italy (San Remo & Ventimiglia), through the Principality of Monaco, the historic village of Eze & the market town of Beaulieu-sur-Mer to the East, all the way to the glitz and glamour of Cannes via the city of Nice and Superyacht hub that is Antibes to the West.
If a more relaxing stay if what you're looking for, within the village you can find everything you need for your holiday; there is a large 1km long beach facing the bay and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, a large selection of restaurants and bars and you are only a 25 minute walk from Beaulieu-sur-Mer where you can find even more amenities and a large selection of beach clubs.
The History of Villefranche-sur-Mer
Villefranche is a picturesque old town, founded early in the 14th century. Its ancient Saint-Pierre chapel was entirely decorated by the famous French 20th-century writer and artist Jean Cocteau, and the village also has a citadel, built in 1560, under the rule of the duke of Savoy.
The site of what is now Villefranche and surrounding Beaulieu-sur-Mer and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat has been settled since prehistoric times, however the village of Villefranche was created by Charles II of Anjou, Count of Provence in 1295 in order to secure the area from pirates.
By 1388, East Provence became part of the Duchy of Savoy and for the next 400 years, the area known as the County of Nice was hotly disputed between the Holy Roman Empire (to which Savoy was an ally) and the French.
In 1543, the Franco-Turkish armies sacked and occupied the city, then in the late 17th century, the area fell to the French but was returned to Savoy after the Peace of Utrecht.
In 1744, a Franco-Spanish army overran the Piedmontese and by 1793, the French returned to re-occupy Villefranche and the county of Nice remained part of the Napoleonic Empire until 1814 when it was returned to the Kingdom of Sardinia.
In 1860, as a consequence of the Risorgimento, it was given to France.
Nowadays tourism dominates the local economy, with it's beautiful cobbled streets and multi-coloured buildings which take inspiration from the Italian and French heritage of the village. The town overlooks a beautiful bay that is well sheltered and is often used by leisure and cruise vessels, and there is a yachting harbour and a small fishing port.