More about La Napoule Castle…

In 1746, he was unable to prevent the sacking of his castle of La Napoule by the Austro-Sardinian armies in 1746 during the War of the Austrian Succession. In 1750, a visit report from the Chevalier de Montgrand specifies that major repair work had been carried out in the castle but that the village was destroyed and that there were only 150 parishioners left with a vicar to administer them. A new church was built. During the Revolution the castle was abandoned and pillaged. In 1815, the Marquis de Montgrand bought the land and had the castle returned to him. In 1837, the owner of the castle authorized the installation of glassworks in the castle. What remained of the castle's frame will disappear as fuel. The Montgrand family kept the ruins of the castle until 1876. The new railway line passed next to it from 1863. The château was sold in 1876 to Mr. Charrier, a perfumer in Grasse. From 1878, he had the ruins demolished and instead built a mansion on the seafront with, at right angles, easement wings on the foundations of the old buildings. The work was completed in 1880. In the 1900s, the castle was rented out to wealthy summer visitors. Mr. Béranger, who inherited it, put it up for sale during the First World War. The Restoration of Henry and Marie Clews: In 1918, two Americans, Henry and Marie Clews, moved into the remains of the medieval residence that they acquired in November 1918 to begin rebuilding it. Henry Clews was the son of a New York banker, he had inherited a large fortune. Making good use of their fortune, the couple was able to restore the buildings and build others from scratch, adding their personal touch (Henry was a sculptor and his wife an architect). Henry and Marie Clews resided in their castle between 1919 and 1930. They were both the owners and designers of their castle and garden. They designed a neo-medieval work without any archaeological research. Henry Clews developed a fantastic bestiary there by making references to fairy tales as shown by the mottos engraved on the castle, such as Once upon a time or Myth - Mystery - Mirth. Marie Clews who designed and designed the modifications to the castle and gardens worked directly with local masons, Jean and César Cassano and twelve stonemasons. Wanting to remain in control of the design of the castle, the Clews did not want to work with a renowned architect who could have modified their plans. They still relied on local architects to carry out their projects and help them solve technical problems. A certain Mr. Béranger inherited the castle thereafter and put it up for sale during the First World War. In 1943, the castle was incorporated into the Südwall marine battery network built by the German army. A camouflaged blockhouse was built to the north-east of the garden which destroyed part of the garden wall. It was reestablished in 1950 by Marie Clews. Founded in 1951 by Marie Clews, the La Napoule Henry Clews Memorial Art Association has made the castle a place of international cultural exchange including the organization of conferences, exhibitions, concerts and shows to which is added an artist residency programme.