Why Visit
Now it is a bustling power town and a popular destination for yachts. There are several important landmarks and places to visit like the Chateau and the Picasso Museum. It offers a good variety of food.
History
Antibes was founded in the 5th-century BC by the Greeks of Marseille. It was originally called Antipolis. Its original greek name meant “the city across”. Since that time, the town has been an important trading centre due to its protected port.
The town came under roman control in 43 BC, as the republic increased its hold over the western Mediterranean. It was incorporated into the senatorial province of Gallia Narbonensis and remained under roman control for the next 500 years. During the roman times it grew and became one of the largest towns in the region and an important entry point into Roman Gaul. Roman control is evident in the city’s architecture, such as aqueducts and fortified walls.
In 476 AD invasions by barbarian tribes caused the collapse of the empire. The barbarians seized Antibes and the town entered a period of instability. In the 10th century, Seigneur Rodoart built an extensive fortified wall around the town and a castle for himself to live. With its new protector and defensive works, the town experienced a period of renewal.
This newfound prosperity was short-lived however. For the next centuries successive wars and plagues ravaged the countryside and the inhabitants of Antibes stayed inside their strong walls. Stability returned in the end of the 15th century as the region came under the protection and control of King Louis XI of France.
From around the middle of the 19th century the Antibes area regained its popularity, as wealthy people from around Europe discovered its natural beauty and built luxurious homes here. In 1926 the Chaâteau Grimaldi in Antibes was restored as a museum and in 1946 Pablo Picasso came to the town to visit his friend and fellow painted Gerald Murphy. Before he departed he left a number of works which are now exhibited in the local Picasso Museum.
Museums - Archeological
The city is home to many important museums. The Archaeology Museum is located in the old Bastion St. Andre, which was a fortress in the 17th century. Its collection focuses on the classical history of Antibes and holds many artefacts, sculptures and amphorae for the greek and roman times. There is also the Naval Museum of Napoleon, which is housed as well in a 17th century fort. It holds a collection of Napoleonic paintings and models of naval vessels. The famous Picasso Museum holds one of the world’s largest collections. It has 24 paintings, 44 drawings, 32 lithographs, 11 oils on paper, 80 pieces of ceramics, 2 sculptures and five tapestries. There is also the small but important “La Tour Museum”, located in the centre of the town and houses an exhibit of costumes, tools, photographs and other objects used by the people of Antibes. Finally the Absinthe Museum is located in a basement in the Roman foundations of Old Antibes. It is dedicated to the manufacture and appreciation of this green liqueur.
Beaches
There are 48 beaches along the 25 km (16 miles) of coastline that surround Antibes and Juan les Pins.
Religious Monasteries and Churches
The central church in Antibes was first built in the 11th century with stones used from earlier Roman structures. Its current façade was constructed in the 18th century and blends Latin classical symmetry and religious fantasy. The interior houses some impressive pieces such as a Baroque altarpiece and life-sized wooden carving of Christ's death from 1447.
