La Frégate
Currently offered for sale, a spledid residence in La Californie.
Currently offered for sale, this residence in La Californie is a perfect example of the fondness of privileged society for Cannes and the “Belle Époque”.
Ernestine Drapier, nee Wallon, lost her first husband prematurely. Still a young woman, she inherited his fortune and got married again, to Commander Trillot, a colonel responsible for measuring instruments for the navy. Together they acquired a plot of land in La Californie. In 1900, this child of the earth who was born in L’Aisne and her sailor had a residence built in the classic style of the time. Their mansion, one of the few in the neighbourhood which has not been converted into apartments, opens out to the Mediterranean, the Lérins Islands and Estérel hills. Commander Trillot made an allusion to his love of the sea right at the entrance gate, which still bears an anchor. The same as the one that is engraved on the silverware of a family of farmers in the Pas-de-Calais (Ernestine’s great-great-nephews). The most telling item, however, is the stained-glass window in the stairwell which represents several warships. In homage to the house’s origins, one can make out in a slight recess a photo taken at the time of the Commander and his wife.
When the present owners acquired La Frégate six years ago, they discovered a house in a pitiful state and decided to restore its former glory. One enters the property from the rear. A 300 year-old cedar, 6.7 metres in circumference and the oldest in La Californie, stands to the left while a statue in immaculate white gives a foretaste of the overall style. Two lions stand guard at the entrance, which takes the form of a heavy wooden door. In the reception hall, an impressive marble console decorated with gold-leaf and surmounted by a matching mirror reminds us that here, opulence is the order of the day. The huge chandelier, stained-glass windows, staircase and delicate marquetry confirm this impression. Then we find ourselves in the living-rooms : the lounge with its heavy beige and yellow drapes, prolonged by a terrace, the boudoir with its fireplace, the ravishing study and dining-room, which also has a hearth, all give pride of place to gilding, silk carpets and old paintings. As in all “Belle Époque” buildings, spacious layout and high ceilings are basic features. The first floor, which can also be reached by elevator, is home to the master apartment. The many mirrors make the room seem larger. On the floor, fitted white carpets. On each side of the sleeping area, a small sitting-room. One of them has a particularly well-fitted walk-in closet. The marble bathroom is of unusual size and layout. The bathtub stands on a raised plinth and two perpendicular handbasins designate the areas for Madame and Monsieur ; a dressing-table takes us back to the days when women accorded precious time to their toilette. On the same floor, there are two more bedrooms with their own bathrooms. The plunging view is quite sublime. The sea sparkles between the luxuriant vegetation and the rooftops of illustrious neighbours such as Picasso’s “La Californie”. The Lérins Islands stretch out langorously and the Massif de l’Estérel towers up in all its majesty. We go back down two floors to visit two guest rooms, both with bathrooms, a room containing a sauna, hammam and jacuzzi, the summer kitchen and lounge situated close to the pool. For the first time, we go out into the garden and discover the mansion’s architecture. All the signs of the “Belle Époque” are there : balustrades, wrought ironwork, curving stairs, pediments, decorative friezes and other elements in relief… And while inside the symmetry seems perfect, outside one notices harmonious breaks in rhythm. One wing juts out from the main body of the house, cleanly and geometrically, the other is crowned by a round belvedere. One then turns from the century-old building to focus on its natural setting : pines, palms, orange-trees, a gigantic bougainviller in bloom. Then there are the terraces, large pots of daisies, another statue, a fountain, old-fashioned lamps…
For the record, the house of 600 m2 was put up for sale, furnished, for 240,000 francs in 1919. And just like Prosper Mérimée and Lord Brougham, Ernestine rests in peace in the cemetery of Le Grand Jas in Cannes, facing the Mediterranean between her two husbands. On their death, the Trillots donated some of their assets to the lifeboat service. La Frégate perpetuates their union against the backcloth of the sea.
By Laetitia Rossi - Photos Edith Andreotta
