Villefranche-sur-Mer Attractions
On the far side of Mont Boron lies Villefranche, a beautiful natural harbor developed in the early 14th C. by Charles II of Anjou. The town is surrounded by olive-clad hills and has such a mild climate that even bananas ripen here. In the south of the picturesque Old Town stands the Citadel (1580; fortifications on the seashore). In the Church of St-Michel, built in the Italian Baroque style, is a figure of Christ carved in elm and another of St-Rochus (16th C.)
The remarkable Rue Obscure runs beneath huge shaded arches. By the harbor stands the fishermen's Chapel of St-Pierre (often closed) - the interior of which was decorated by Jean Cocteau - and the Palais de la Marine. Cocteau often stayed at both Villefranche and St Jean Cap Ferrat and a scene from his film "Le Testament d'Orphée" is set in the Rue Obscure.
The remarkable Rue Obscure runs beneath huge shaded arches. By the harbor stands the fishermen's Chapel of St-Pierre (often closed) - the interior of which was decorated by Jean Cocteau - and the Palais de la Marine. Cocteau often stayed at both Villefranche and St Jean Cap Ferrat and a scene from his film "Le Testament d'Orphée" is set in the Rue Obscure.
