Château Grimaldi

Cagnes-sur-Mer, France, France

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Château Grimaldi in Cagnes-sur-Mer, France, is a 14th-century fortress built around 1309 by Rainier Grimaldi, a lord of Cagnes and admiral of France, on the site of earlier Greek and Roman fortifications, towering over the medieval hilltop village of Haut-de-Cagnes with its machicolated towers and crenellations.

Transformed in the early 17th century by Jean-Henri Grimaldi into a luxurious residence during Louis XIII's reign, it features a triangular courtyard, a grand hall with a painted ceiling depicting the Fall of Phaëton by Giulio Benso, and a chapel with folk-scene frescoes, later serving as barracks, a hospital, and acquired by the town in 1937 to become the Château-Musée Grimaldi in 1946, classified as a historic monument in 1948.

Today, it houses the Musée de l’Olivier showcasing olive farming heritage, the Solidor collection of portraits, temporary contemporary art exhibitions, and offers stunning views of the Mediterranean from its tower.