More than meets the eye
Keith Gregson ignores the stars of the silver screen on a tour of historic Cannes.
Cannes is home to the stars; simply spend five minutes in the port and you will be left in no doubt of the fact.Since World War II, the annual film festival has established a massive international reputation and pervades every aspect of life in the resort.
Beneath the surface, however, lies an older yet equally intriguing Cannes - a Cannes well worthy of exploration.
In many respects the early story of Cannes is a sad one. Established as a port by the Romans, it developed monastic and military features during the Middle Ages. At the same time, some visitors saw easy pickings to be had - these included barbarian and Saracen invaders as well as armies on their way to a fight elsewhere.
It is still possible to gain a feel for this ancient period by taking a stroll up hill into the Le Suquet district where stand the Castle of Cannes, the Chapel of Saint Anne and a number of ancient walls.
The view across the bay from here is magnificent and makes the climb well worthwhile.
The early 17th century Chapelle de la Misericorde at the bottom of the hill is another reminder of these early roots.
Two hundred years later, the great Napoleon left his mark on the port. Newly escaped from captivity in Elba, he entered Cannes with a small army of men in early March 1815.
He disembarked onto mainland France at Golfe- Juan, a ten minute drive east of the port and his landing is often enthusiastically celebrated by groups of re-enactors.
Having moved from Golfe-Juan, the emperor set up temporary camp in the street in Cannes, which now bears his name; a huge plaque in the wall of a nearby church marks the exact spot.
From Cannes, Napoleon headed north for Paris and eventual defeat at Waterloo later in the same year.
Despite all this activity, it was not until the mid 19th century that Cannes really came to life and began its existence as more than a mere fishing port.
Both French and British historians agree that the driving force behind this change came in the shape of 'the English' and one Englishman in particular - Lord Brougham.
In 1834 Brougham, a politician and senior minister, was en route for a holiday in Italy, following a well-worn path created by generations of British nobles. On this occasion he found the route blocked and the relevant border closed due to an outbreak of cholera.
Glumly, so we are told, he decided to rest overnight at the Hotel Pinchinat or Hotel de Poste on the Port Road in Cannes.
The small hotel had hosted famous passengers before but this one was different. Not only did Brougham extend his stay, he decided to return and build himself a villa slightly further way from the port.
Once in situ, he invited friends along and, in time, they too became hooked.
Cannes was set to become the playground of the English rich and the place where it all started, the former Hotel de la Poste, proudly bears a plaque which acknowledges the important role played by the building in the resort's development.
Nor did the English influence end here and it was that man Brougham again at the tiller.
The newly arrived English soon discovered that the local water supply was poor and unreliable; the lack of water also explained the relative poverty of agriculture in the area.
With friends Brougham set up a company which built the Canal de la Siagne which still lies at the heart of the port's modern water supply.
Locals benefited from the holidaymakers' input to the economy and from the new water supply, which helped them to create the idyllic Mediterranean environment still in force today.
They also recognise Brougham's input. His name is to be found in various parts of the resort and a fine statue dominates the central square.
Brougham was an incredible man. Seen in Britain as the driving force behind the Whig reforms which even opponents recognise as significant in the fields of voting, education and social welfare, he also had time to create the highly successful horse driven Brougham carriage.
One of his main residences near Brougham in Cumbria is the subject of considerable interest to historians at the moment.
Back in Cannes, interest started to expand and the Russian aristocracy too began to visit.
Hotels began to spring up including the Gonnet de la Reine, built on Promenade de la Croisette, which remains the port's most important coastal road.
By the 1860s, the railway had reached the area and Cannes' popularity continued to increase.
For some idea of the glories of these days, it is an idea to visit the Malmaison gallery on the sea front not far from the Festival Hall.
This is all that remains of the Grand hotel constructed in the 1860s. Once a gaming house and tea room, it has been restored to its original splendour.
Close by is the towering Carlton Hotel, constructed some fifty years later, its towers inspired apparently by certain physical aspects of a well known courtesan!
As we enter the 20th century, the 'city of stars' can be clearly seen in the offing but the stars of the inter war years were not those of the silver screen. Royalty and the great and good then found a second home in Cannes.
Included among these were Winston Churchill, the Rothschilds, the Aga Khan (who inaugurated the Palm Beach) and Edward VIII who was often to be found in town after his abdication.
With such a wide and appealing history, it is apt that a war should tantalisingly delay progress. The first international film festival was opened with great pomp on 1 September 1939. It closed with the outbreak of war on the following day.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Given slightly more time, a trip to the islands just off the coast will bring the visitor closer to the area's more ancient history but for the short stay traveller, inquisitive delving into the nooks and crannies of Cannes alone can reap great rewards.
Although it may be impossible to ignore the sea front with its magnificent yachts, grand hotels, festival hall and prints of the stars, a little walk up the hill or down the back streets can make the whole visit more than worthwhile.
