Mandelieu-la-Napoule has a rich history. In Roman times, it was an important center of ceramic production: it was exported to Fréjus, Antibes and Nice thanks to Via Julia Augusta. In the Middle Ages, it was administered by the counts of Villeneuve, then by the bishops of Antibes. The city develops thanks to agriculture, on the slopes of San Peyre. On the San Peyre, the counts of Villeneuve built a chapel dedicated to Saint-Pierre as well as a castle.
Then, in the 19th century, the city developed thanks to tourism and the arrival of the railway in Cannes, which is very close. The Cannes tramway was extended to Mandelieu in 1907: tourists flocked there, attracted by the sweetness of life and the beauty of the seascapes. Illustrious travelers set down their suitcases in the city, such as Guy de Maupassant or Oscar Wilde. At the beginning of the 20th century, the mayor of the city, Laurent Gandolphe, embellished the surrounding areas of the town by promoting the cultivation of mimosa and cork oak.
To take full advantage of Mandelieu and discover its most beautiful sites, among them the hill of San Peyre and the Château de la Napoule, book a guided tour with the Guides de France.
Cannes, close to Mandelieu, has sumptuous viewpoints and very beautiful sites, whether at Le Suquet, the Forville market, on the Croisette or even on the Lérins islands. Book your guided tour of Cannes with Guides de France.