During the end of the nineteenth century and the first decades of this century, the French Riviera became the most desirable of getaways, first for European aristocracy and then for the young American smart set. Against the dramatic background of plunging mountains, rocky harbors, and sweeping bays, the glitterati of the Cote d' Azur built exquisite villas in styles ranging from Medieval, Romanesque, and Classical Revival to the modern. The authors have been granted unprecedented access to these extraordinary houses, and capture their magical exteriors and interiors: enchanting gardens in beautiful hillside settings; gilded furniture with fine needlepoint upholstery; opulent tapestries, mosaic floors, and Aubusson carpets. This is the ultimate book for sybarites and Francophiles alike.