The main sightseeing attraction in Cap Ferrat is the Villa Ephrussi , built by Baroness Beatrice Rothschild, one of the wealthiest women during the Belle Epoque.
Beatrice left the villa to the French Academy of Fine Art. In her will she insisted that the villa retain its vibe of a “living salon”.
This alone tremendously increases the appeal of the villa. The world wants to see how the other half lives.
LA BELLE EPOQUE
La Belle Epoque translates in English as a beautiful era or good times.
Times were really good at the end of 19th century. The Franco-Prussian war ended in 1871 and Europe enjoyed 40 years of peace, economic and cultural prosperity. Wide-spread optimism and trust in the future prevailed. The iconic Eiffel tower built for the World Fair in 1889 is a symbol of this era.
Until the break of WW1 in 1914.
The name La Belle Epoque was given after the war, expressing nostalgia and sentiment for this golden era.
THE ROTHSCHILD DINASTRY
Beatrice belonged to one of the richest and most influential families of the 19th century.
Her great grandfather Mayer Amshel Rothschild established a banking business in Frankfurt in 1870. He built an international banking system by strategically placing his five sons in the financial centres of Europe – Frankfurt, London, Paris, Vienna and Naples.
This smart business adventure became an extraordinary financial success and brought power and social recognition to the Rothschilds. In 1822 the Austrian Emperor made all five sons Barons.
In order to control their enormous wealth and preserve their influence Rothschilds began marring within the family. Often to cousins. Consequently, the family grew into an affluent and powerful dynasty. Their motto still is “Unity, Integrity and Hard Work”.
THE FAMILY
Beatrice’s father Alphonse was a son of James, one of the five Rothschild sons, who settled in Paris. He married Leonora, his cousin from London. They had three children – Beatrice, her sister Bettina and her brother Edouard.
Alphonse had a very successful career and became a governor of the Banque de France.
Beatrice inherited her love for art and antiques from her parents. Her father collected works of art and was a benefactor of French museums.
BARONESS BEATRICE EPHRUSSI DE ROTHSCHILD
I cannot find many details about Beatrice and her life.
Usually people describe her as an attractive woman with a delicate face and a “ravishing figure”. When she was 20 years old her hair suddenly went white and remained white for the rest of her life.
Her peers remembered her as “a wild young woman” dressed in a pink gown and “insufferably excitable”. Beatrice seemed intelligent and very well-mannered even though she possessed the famous Rothschild temperament and eccentricity.
She unapologetically lived as she wanted. During construction of the villa she told one of the architects “ I do not ask what you think. I explain to you what I want.”.She insisted that the gardeners attending the villa should wear sailors barrettes so she could maintain the fantasy that she was travelling on a boat around the world. She also“demanded that flowers should grow in the mistral”.
Beatrice lived a life of indulgence and pleasure. She extensively travelled around the world, collecting art, porcelain and antique furniture. She often gambled in the Monte Carlo casino and bought two properties in Monaco to be near it. She attended boxing matches, was member of a women’s flying club, drove her own car and was interested in tennis and horse racing.
She had two chimpanzees who were talked to and treated as humans. In addition, in all her houses she had aviaries with thousands of birds. Her pet mongoose slept near her bed in a bespoke Louise XVI chair. Beatrice organised a dog wedding with diamonds on the paws of the dogs and spectacular fireworks.
TROUBLES IN PARADISE – THE MARRIAGE
19-year old Beatrice impulsively broke the long tradition to marry within the family. She fell in love with Mauris Ephrussi, a banker from Odessa, 15 years her senior.
Mauris was a cheater, a compulsive gambler and ran up enormous debts. Sadly, he infected Beatrice with a sexually transmitted disease, probably syphilis, denying her the ability to have children.
After a year the marriage broke down even though Beatrice and Mauris remained legally married for 21 years. In 1904 her father initiated divorce proceedings. He wanted to protect Beatrice’s inheritance, because at this point Mauris owed a vast amount of money. A year later Beatrice’s father passed away.
Beatrice was 40 years old, divorced, grieving for her father and deeply depressed. She and her brother had just inherited 700 million euros.
Remember the famous Scott Fitzgerald’s quote “Rich people are different than you and me. Unless you were born rich it is very difficult to understand.”
And an equally famous reply of Earnest Hemingway “Yes, they have more money”.
What was Beatrice going to do?
TO BE CONTINUED
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