Guida turistica di Mougins

Mougins, positioned between Cannes and Grasse, rises in a corkscrew of enchanting cobbled streets. The historic center is awash with quaint alleyways adorned with fountains and statues, while artists’ studios blend into a backdrop of lush gardens.

Divenuto noto come centro gastronomico, Mougins ospita una miriade di magnifici ristoranti, compresi quelli con stelle Michelin, senza dimenticare il loro meraviglioso festival gastronomico ogni anno. Mougins è diventato il rifugio culinario e culturale preferito dagli inglesi e ha una numerosa popolazione di lingua inglese. Sebbene frequentato da celebrità A-listers durante il vicino Cannes Film Festival, it retains its image as an unspoiled medieval village.

A highly attractive aspect in the village are the trees that grow through restaurant terraces in the main square, creating their very own artistic imprint. At the heart is the picturesque Vieux Village , offering spectacular views over Cannes and Grasse with an international reputation for its gourmet cuisine, where great chefs such as Roger Vergé e Alain Ducasse managed restaurants.

Mougins has been frequented and inhabited by many artists and celebrities such as Catherine Deneuve, Elizabeth Taylor, Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Man Ray, Jean Cocteau, Yves Klein, César Baldaccini, Édith Piaf, Jacques Brel, Winston Churchill, and the list goes on… Mougins now showcases 30 art galleries and museums. It’s most famous resident, Pablo Picasso, spent the last 12 years of his life living here.

Esplora Mougins in questa iconica guida turistica della Riviera:

Mougins: informazioni di base

L'antica città arroccata di Mougins è il punto focale centrale dell'area, ma Mougins è cresciuta fino a diventare molto più grande della semplice zona collinare. Alcuni comuni di Mougins hanno complessi residenziali come il moderno Mougins-le-Haut. Lungo la Route Napoleon e l'adiacente sezione Tournamy, negozi e aziende si aggiungono alle nuove parti contemporanee della città.

Un po' di storia di Mougins

Mougins era una volta una città occupata anche prima del dominio dei romani. I Liguri la occuparono e la tennero contro le invasioni bizantine, finché il Comune di Genova non la pose sotto il suo controllo tra l'XI e il XV secolo. Molte delle strutture del vecchio borgo risalgono a questi anni. I monaci di St-Honorat da Isole di Lerino amministrò la regione collinare di Mougins quando il conte di Antibes metterli in carica.

A quel tempo era un villaggio fortificato. Restano ancora alcuni resti dei bastioni e delle mura di quegli anni. La Porte Sarazzine è una delle tre torri originarie. Alcuni dei bastioni furono rimossi dal saccheggio dell'esercito austro-sardo, durante la guerra di successione austriaca del XVIII secolo. Ma la guerra non ha fermato la città che si è rianimata quando nel XIX secolo sono state costruite diverse nuove strade e case. Durante il XIX e il XX secolo divenne un centro di produzione di fiori utilizzato da Grasse per le sue profumerie.

La storia culinaria

La storia di Mougins quando si tratta di arti gastronomiche è innegabilmente notevole. Famosi chef ed esperti culinari hanno contribuito al riconoscimento della città. I loro nomi sono anche associati ai ristoranti in cui esercitano la loro esperienza. Prendiamo ad esempio L'Amandier, dove i geni Roger Vergé e Alain Ducasse hanno servito come chef e gestori di ristoranti. Vergé ha aperto L'Amandier Mougins nel 1977. Dal 1970 al 1974 ha ricevuto stelle Michelin ed è stato anche nominato Maître Cuisinier de France nel 1980. Ducasse è stato assistente di Vergé da cui ha imparato la cucina provenzale che in seguito lo ha reso uno chef ricercato. Ha rilevato le cucine di L'Amandier nel 1980. Attualmente detiene 21 stelle Michelin.

Pablo Picasso

Pablo Picasso, one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, spent the last 12 years of his life in Mougins. Drawn by its serene beauty and elegant surroundings, Picasso made his home at the Notre-Dame-de-Vie estate, a former farmhouse he transformed into his studio. The nearby Notre-Dame-de-Vie chapel , with its simple yet captivating architecture, deeply inspired him, influencing his later works, which often reflected themes of mortality and legacy. This period, from 1961 until his death in 1973, marked the height of his fame and was characterized by a prolific output of art, infused with the introspective and mature style that defined his later years.

Check out la storia dietro il tempo leggendario di Picasso sulla Riviera.

Mougins, with its charming cobblestone streets and panoramic views, became more than just Picasso’s retreat; it was a source of profound inspiration and a symbol of the peaceful environment that fueled his creativity. The town, enriched by Picasso’s presence, continues to celebrate its connection to the artist, attracting visitors and artists alike who seek to experience the idyllic setting that influenced one of the greatest masters of modern art. Today, Mougins stands as a testament to the deep relationship between an artist and his environment, preserving the legacy of Picasso’s final and most reflective years.

The Notre-Dame-de-Vie chapel and Picasso’s former estate in Mougins are significant landmarks, but they have different levels of accessibility to the public:

• Il Notre-Dame-de-Vie chapel , which played an inspirational role in Picasso’s later years, is accessible to visitors. It is a small, historical church that dates back several centuries and is known for its simple yet elegant architecture. Visitors can explore the chapel and its surroundings, which provide a sense of the serene environment that Picasso cherished. The chapel is a lovely spot for those interested in the artistic and spiritual ambiance that influenced Picasso’s work.
• Il Notre-Dame-de-Vie estate, where Picasso lived from 1961 until his death in 1973, has been restored true to Picasso’s vision and is being used for art production. While the estate itself cannot be visited, you can view it from a distance and enjoy the picturesque surroundings that inspired Picasso. The estate is well-known among art enthusiasts and historians, and even though you can’t tour the inside, just being near the location where Picasso spent his final years can be a meaningful experience for fans of his work.

For those interested in Picasso’s life and legacy, the village of Mougins offers various galleries, museums, and cultural events that celebrate the artist’s influence on the region.

Cosa vedere a Mougins

Mougins, a quintessential destination on the French Riviera, seamlessly blends history, culture, art, and gastronomy in an enchanting setting. Its panoramic views, narrow cobbled streets, and centuries-old stone houses create an authentically atmospheric experience. Nestled between the sea and the mountains, this medieval village’s picturesque charm has captivated numerous artists.

As part of the cultural exploration of the French Riviera, you can always find the list of the best museums or galleries in our travel guide, and the following are the best you can see in Mougins:

Female Artists Mougins Museum

FAMM is the first private museum in Europe dedicated to women artists. Christian Levett first established the Mougins Museum of Classical Art in 2011. During its 12 years of existence, it rapidly became a popular cultural destination showcasing his collection of antiquities juxtaposed with classically inspired artworks. In Summer 2023, Levett, the former British investor passionate about art and history, declared, “After almost 30 years of collecting art, my tastes have evolved, and I think it’s time for the museum to evolve as well.”

In June 2024, the museum, now renamed FAMM (Female Artists Mougins Museum) , unveiled over a hundred works by more than 80 artists from around the world. This exhibition represents an exhilarating artistic journey—from visionary Impressionists to daring Surrealists, through tumultuous abstraction and bold representations of the human body, leading to the intimate and raw expressions of 21st-century female artists.

FAMM proudly provides a dedicated platform for exhibiting works by female artists, addressing historical imbalances in their recognition and appreciation. The remarkable artworks on display offer visitors a rare chance to explore the universal essence of art, with each artist contributing to enriching and reshaping the grand narrative of art history.

In an interview with Artnet, Levett said: “I hope when people walk in there and see the quality of artworks, they’ll walk out and think to themselves, ‘That was amazing.’ And hopefully visiting a museum where all the artworks have been by female artists makes them stop and think ‘How did we ever reach a point where so little of the work on the walls of museums or in auctions was by female artists?’ That’s really what I want people to think.”

Open daily from 10am to 8pm (6pm in the off-season – see visiting and ticket info).

Musée de la Photographie André Villers

Musée de la Photographie André Villers contiene mostre di fotografie di Pablo Picasso dai fotografi Andre Villérs e Henri Lartigue. Picasso’s close friend, photographer André Villers, chronicled the artist’s Mougins years in black-and-white photos.

Le immagini fiancheggiano le pareti di un'antica casa medievale: alcune sono esilaranti, come la foto che mostra Picasso seduto a colazione con la sua tipica camicia bretone, fingendo di avere dei cornetti per le dita. Altri ritratti di Villars, inclusi scatti di Dalí, Catherine Deneuve ed Edith Piaf, sono spesso in mostra. Altre immagini nel museo sono state scattate dai migliori fotografi come Robert Doisneau, che ha scattato il famoso scatto "coppia che si bacia a Parigi".

L'ingresso è gratuito. È aperto tutti i giorni dalle 10:00 alle 12:30 e dalle 14:00 alle 18:00 (da giugno a settembre l'orario si estende fino alle 19:00) e chiuso a gennaio.

Espace de l'Art Concret

A five minute drive from Mougins, Espace de l’Art Concret is a place that modern art and architecture enthusiasts love to visit. The exhibit is inside the 16th-century Château de Mouans , which shows works by the likes of Yves Klein, Andy Warhol, and Philippe Starck. It has an extension by Albers-Honegger; a lime-green building that is strikingly in contrast with its historical surroundings.

L'Etang Fontmerle

Also a five minute drive from Mougins, in a five-hectare swath of greenery on the edge of Valmasque Forest Park , L’Etang Fontmerle is the largest pond with a colony of lotus flowers in Europe. The blooming season is from July to September. Migratory birds and waterfowls plentiful, numbering over 60 different species. Close to the pond is the chapel, Notre-Dame-de-Vie and the manor-villa of Picasso.

Come arrivare là

Autobus #600 tra Grasse e Cannes frequenta Mougins ma non entra nel vecchio villaggio. Scendere a Val de Mougins e prendere l'autobus n. 650 (Sophia Antipolis) o il Palmbus n. 27 per raggiungere il centro del paese sulla collina. In alternativa, puoi camminare fino al villaggio, che può richiedere dai 10 ai 15 minuti. Se stai guidando, c'è un parcheggio all'ingresso del vecchio villaggio arroccato.

Videotour di Mougins

La reputazione internazionale di Mougins ne fa una meta privilegiata per celebrità e turisti. Il ristorante gourmet e i musei d'arte senza tempo daranno pura soddisfazione a coloro che cercano un'esperienza inimitabilmente gratificante.