Place du Château

In its original conception, this castle was built around 1300 for Rainier Grimaldi, lord of Cagnes and admiral of France. Around 1620, Baron Jean-Henri Grimaldi had it transformed into a seigneurial residence combining the charm and wealth of a palace: monumental staircase, patio with three levels of arcades, reception room and oratory show a strong influence of the Italian Baroque. The ceiling of the main hall was painted in trompe l'oeil by the Genoese Giulio Benso, with a spectacular Fall of Phaeton in its center. The castle is now home to the ethnographic museum of the olive tree, the museum of modern Mediterranean art, the Solidor donation (paintings by Picabia, Foujita, Van Dongen, Dufy, Lempicka ...) and exhibitions of contemporary art. Finally, the tower offers a magnificent panorama of the medieval town, the Bay of Angels and the Mercantour.