Cagnes-sur-Mer

Cagnes-sur-Mer is a commune in southeastern France on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea between Saint-Laurent-du-Var and Villeneuve-Loubet. The largest suburb of Nice, it stretches along a cove offering nearly 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) of beach and is surrounded by hills, including that of the castle, which rises to 91 metres (299 ft) above sea level.

The municipality covers an area of 1,795 hectares; the elevation ranges from 0 to 187 meters. It is classified as seismic zone 4 (moderate seismicity) and some earthquakes are felt in Cagnes-sur-Mer.^[3]

The Château Grimaldi was established by Rainier Grimaldi at the top of a hill in the area now known as "Haut-de-Cagnes" in 1309.^[12] A quite separate coastal area, known as "Cros-de-Cagnes", was developed by fishermen, who came twice a year from Menton, in the late 18th century.^[13]

The Hôtel de Ville was established in the "Les Logis" area, which developed in the 19th century.^[14]

The town was the retreat and final address of the Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir, who moved there in 1907 in an attempt to improve his arthritis and remained there until his death in 1919. In the late 1920s, Cagnes-sur-Mer became a residence for many American renowned literary and art figures, such as Katie Boyle, George Antheil, and Harry and Caresse Crosby.^[15][16] The Belgian author Georges Simenon (1903–1989), creator of the fictional detective Commissaire Jules Maigret, lived at 98 montée de la Bourgade in the 1950s with his third wife and their three children; his initial "S" may still be seen in the wrought iron on the stairs.

The Parisian artist, poet, and philosopher Georges Charaire had a home in Cagnes for many years. Creating his lithographs in the former studio of Paul Gauguin and also as a co-founder of the théâtre du Tertre in Montmartre, Charaire had a great influence on French art and thought in the 20th century and helped his friend Eugène Ionesco with his first plays at the théâtre du Tertre. Charaire kept his second home in Cagnes-sur-Mer until his death in 2001.

The Belarusian-French artist Chaïm Soutine created powerful and fanciful landscapes of southern France. A friend of Amedeo Modigliani, Soutine left colourful landscapes from Cagnes starting in 1924. The Spanish Fauvist painter Francisco Iturrino also lived in the town, where he died. The town may have been an inspiration for Henri-Edmond Cross (1856–1910), the Neo-Impressionist artist who painted Cypresses at Cagnes (1908).

Places of interest include Renoir's estate, Les Collettes, surrounded by olive trees; the medieval castle at le Haut-de-Cagnes; and the Cros area, which was founded by Italian fishermen in the 19th century.

The town is also known for its horse-racing venue, the Hippodrome de la Côte d'Azur, as well as for its 4 km (2 mi) beach.

The Gare de Cagnes-sur-Mer is a railway station that offers local services to Nice and Cannes.

The commune is twinned with:

• Passau (Germany, 1973)

• 
  Cros-de-Cagnes
• 
  Landscape near Cagnes, by Pierre-Auguste Renoir
• 
  The Vineyards at Cagnes by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1908. Brooklyn Museum
• 
  The Grimaldi castle museum in Haut-de-Cagnes
• 
  The Hôtel de Ville

• Communes of the Alpes-Maritimes department