The Massena Palace (or Villa Massena, as it is often referred to by the locals) is at present home to the Museum of Art and History of Nice. Its fortunate location in central Nice, 100 meters north from Promenade des Anglais, enhances the tourist visibility of the venue.

Besides the extensive collections displayed at the museum, the palace is in itself a valuable architectural landmark of Nice. However, its appeal is greatly enhanced by the set which surrounds the structure: a historical garden laid out by the design of a revolutionary landscape architect of the late 19th and the early 20th century, namely, Edouard Andre.

The restoration works carried out between 2006 and 2007 were intended to give back the past splendor of the garden, which they successfully did, by following the original architectural and layout structure. Thus, visitors can easily distinguish between the three parts of the garden: the north cour d’honneur, the parterre and the garden a la francaise. The only changes made by the restoration works concern the removal of certain species of plants which were replaced with decorative shrubs (in particular within one section of the parterre area).

A notable feature of the garden is it blends in harmoniously with the surrounding architectural complex. The garden (or sections of it) is sometimes referred to as the Garden of the Legion of Honor (Jardin de la Legion d’Honneur).

Name:
Massena Palace Gardens (Jardins de la Villa Massena)
Address:
65, Rue de France, 06000, Nice, France
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