Château de Clavary

En un regard

Le château en bref

The Château de Clavary is a private estate located in Auribeau-sur-Siagne, in the Alpes-Maritimes, near Grasse. Its construction is dated to 1820, but little is known about its origins. In 1925, the property, then comprising some thirty to forty hectares, was acquired by the American painter Russell Greeley, a native of Boston. Between 1925 and 1938, the château became a holiday retreat for many artists: in 1926–1927 Pablo Picasso created a floor mosaic in the smoking room, one of his first works in this technique, while Jean Hugo painted interior frescoes and Jean Cocteau and Max Ernst contributed to the gardens. The estate then passed into the hands of Peter Wilson, head of the auction house Sotheby's, until 1984, when the property was divided up. The main building, in Victorian style, is notably faced with rounded pebbles and decorated inside with trompe-l'œil marble. The château remains a private estate today.