Villa Massena

The Villa Masséna, now the Musée Masséna, stands on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, right next to the famous Hotel Negresco. Built between 1898 and 1902 in the Neoclassical style with Italian influences, the building originally served as the winter residence of Victor Masséna, a grandson of André Masséna, one of Napoleon's marshals. After the family sold it to the city in 1919, the villa opened its doors as a museum in 1921. Today, visitors will find an impressive Belle Époque collection that includes paintings, sculptures, decorative arts, and Empire-style furniture. Among its special treasures are Napoleon Bonaparte's death mask and the mother-of-pearl diadem of his first wife, Joséphine. The museum also displays large-format paintings, patriotic seascapes, and historical documents about the region. On the top floor is the library of the mountaineer Victor de Cessole, which preserves valuable records on the history of the County of Nice and Provence. The adjoining park, laid out in the English style with Mediterranean plantings, invites you to take a relaxing stroll.