The Other Side of the Riviera: From the Depths of the Abyss to Retro Elegance
The French Riviera is more than just its impeccably aligned striped beach umbrellas or the chic nonchalance of its seaside resorts. Behind the myth of *Bonjour Tristesse* lies a rougher, almost military reality. In Toulon, far from the glitz of the Croisette, the shadow of Commander Cousteau still looms over the Naval Academy. It was here that the art of scuba diving took root in the mid-20th century. Amid hyperbaric chambers and technical diving exercises at depths of 70 meters, one discovers an extreme Riviera, where freedom is not found on the sand, but in the exhilarating darkness of the ocean depths.
Heading east along the coast, between Cassis and La Ciotat, the landscape transforms. Former shipyards now stand side by side with mansions converted into exclusive retreats. It is a land of contrasts where artichoke farmers and winemakers who champion natural wine share a glass of pastis on the Ricard family’s private island. Recently reopened, this idyllic island offers an aesthetic immersion in the 1960s, celebrating a Mediterranean that is both untamed and artfully staged.
A Renaissance on the Giens Peninsula
On the Giens Peninsula, the legendary Hotel Le Provençal is enjoying a new lease on life. Under the direction of interior designer Rodolphe Parente and the grandsons of founder Marius Michel—Benjamin and Damien Piffet—the hotel reinterprets the codes of coastal living. The pool carved directly into the rock and the clay tennis courts echo a curated art collection, curated by Julie Liger of the Villa Noailles. Here, the very essence of the South comes to life: effortless elegance, embodied by light, airy silhouettes and architecture that embraces the sea.
This quest for authenticity continues further south, in Sicily, where houses like Asciari carry on intergenerational craftsmanship. Drawing inspiration from the understated attire of farmers and artisans from the 1940s, these designers prove that luxury lies in the purity of the craft and the quality of the materials, far removed from superfluous ornamentation.
Malta and Hydra: The Allure of the Islands
No exploration of the Mediterranean would be complete without a stop in Malta, whose modernist heritage surprises with its precision and geometric beauty. But it is perhaps toward Greece that our most nostalgic gaze turns. On the island of Hydra, around an 18th-century windmill, the spirit of the islands continues to fascinate. Hydra remains the bohemian haven that captivated so many artists, such as the Australian writer Charmian Clift in the 1950s.
Through her account of her epic move to this rocky outcrop with no running water, Clift captured the essence of the island’s allure: absolute freedom tempered by daily logistical challenges. Whether exploring the origins of turquoise blue, the cultural history of the melon, or the intricacies of modernist architecture, the Mediterranean remains an inexhaustible wellspring of stories. It is that liquid frontier where, once immersed in the deep blue, every challenge of the mainland finally seems to fade away.