MARBLE PALACE
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This 19th century palace that extended to the sea (23 ha) was the home of a banker Honoré Gastaud, who planted many tree species: araucarias, palm, eucalyptus, cedar which subsequently gave their name to the property that is also called "Villa Les Palmiers" and "Les Grands Cèdres". The site, that has a good reputation was so highly appreciated by the Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna, Napoleon III and the Empress Eugénie who stayed there during major festivities. In 1871, the Consul Ernest Gambard, an art dealer, acquired the estate and commissioned the architect Sébastien Marcel Biasini, to build this magnificent Italian style house: the building is entirely covered with marble - hence its nickname - imported from Carrara by 27 boats. Now a popular reception place for local bourgeois as well as Russian and European aristocracy, the place also serves as an exhibition gallery. As for the garden, a greenhouse having a winter garden, water features and artificial caves are installed. In the late 19th century, the property was divided several times: the Barla castle (now the headquarters of Perou) and the Fabron castle were sold while the Sainte-Hélène school was built on a plot of the estate. After the death of the consul in 1902, the palace was transformed into a luxurious brothel. In 1956, the entire estate was sold to a real estate company that transformed it into a set of residential buildings. The building, now surrounded by a lot of unsightly buildings, still retains its splendour and a section of the park is still preserved. Since 1960, the palace is owned by the city of Nice that installed the municipal archives there.
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