The capital of festivals, as the city by the Mediterranean Sea is often called, sits 970 kilometers from Paris, on the southeastern coast of France. Finding where Cannes is on a map is easy. It's halfway between Monaco and Saint-Tropez, in the very heart of the Côte d'Azur, between the Gulf of Napoule and the Esterel mountain range.
The population of Cannes is just over 74,000, but this figure almost triples in the summer and during major festival events.
It is not known when Cannes was founded. According to archaeological research, the area was already inhabited in the Neolithic era. Later, the Ligurs came here, followed by the Romans. The inhabitants of the settlement were mainly engaged in fishing and trade.
In the 10th century Cannes came under the influence of the Abbey of Lerins. In the following centuries, the settlement had to endure more than one invasion.
In 1815, after returning from exile on Elba, Napoleon visited this place. But the real turning point in the history of Cannes came in 1834. It was at this time that the British Lord Chancellor Henry Peter Brougham, seeking refuge from a cholera epidemic that had struck Nice, stayed in the town.
He was captivated by the beauty and mild climate of Cannes and decided to build a house here. Soon after, other aristocrats, including members of Europe’s royal dynasties, followed his example.
