Villa Kérylos is calling on the public to help uncover personal stories and memories behind the Reinach family and their remarkable home.
One of the French Riviera’s most remarkable Belle Époque residences is looking to uncover the human stories behind its celebrated architecture.
Villa Kérylos in Beaulieu-sur-Mer has launched a public call for photographs, letters, documents, objects and personal memories relating to the Reinach family and architect Emmanuel Pontremoli.
The material will contribute to research for a forthcoming exhibition exploring the people who created and lived in this extraordinary home.
A Greek dream on the Mediterranean
Built between 1902 and 1908, Villa Kérylos was commissioned by Théodore Reinach, a distinguished archaeologist, Hellenist and scholar with a deep fascination for ancient Greek civilisation. He entrusted architect Emmanuel Pontremoli, winner of the Grand Prix de Rome in 1890, with transforming that passion into reality.
Overlooking the Mediterranean at the tip of the Baie des Fourmis, the villa was inspired by the noble houses of the Greek island of Delos dating from the second century BC. But Kérylos was never intended to be a straightforward archaeological reconstruction. Reinach and Pontremoli sought instead to create a contemporary home while, in their words, “thinking Greek”.
The result was an extraordinary combination of antiquity and Belle Époque luxury. Marble, mosaics, frescoes, exotic woods and specially designed furniture recreated the atmosphere of the ancient Mediterranean, while modern comforts, including electricity and sophisticated heating, were discreetly incorporated into the building. Pontremoli’s involvement extended to virtually every detail, even the tableware and silverware.
Photo by Christophe Recoura – http://www.villa-kerylos.com/, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
At its heart is a peristyle surrounded by 12 Carrara marble columns. Reception rooms, including the salons, dining room, library and baths, occupy the ground floor, while the family’s private bedrooms and bathrooms are upstairs.
Yet for all its architectural importance, Kérylos was also a family home. Théodore Reinach and his family spent their holidays here, something the Villa’s new research project hopes to explore in much greater depth.
Putting people back into the story
The initiative aims to bring a more human dimension to the Villa by telling the story of the Reinach family and their life there, beyond its architectural significance. Once the research is complete, the findings will form the basis of a permanent exhibition.
The Villa already holds extensive documentary material, but what is missing are many of the personal stories that could reveal what everyday life at Kérylos was actually like.
Local residents may prove particularly important. Families in Beaulieu-sur-Mer and the surrounding area may have relatives who once worked at the Villa, knew members of the Reinach family or had other connections with the property.
Importantly, contributors do not need to possess valuable historical objects. Family stories, recollections and memories passed down through generations could prove equally useful.
Photographs, letters and memories wanted
Photo by Hélène Grenier – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
Anyone possessing photographs, correspondence, archival documents, objects or mementos connected with Théodore Reinach or members of his family is encouraged to contact Villa Kérylos.
With the owners’ permission, material uncovered through the initiative could eventually appear in the exhibition, either as original loans, reproductions or recorded personal accounts.
Weekly consultation sessions are being held at Villa Kérylos every Wednesday and Thursday from 10 am until midday until 25/26 November, 2026, giving potential contributors an opportunity to meet the team and discuss their material.
These initial meetings may then lead to further research. Depending on the significance of the material and the stories that emerge, the Villa’s researchers will follow up individually with contributors.
Preserving the Reinach legacy
The initiative adds another chapter to Villa Kérylos’ own remarkable history. Théodore Reinach left the property and its collections to the Institut de France in 1927, shortly before his death in 1928. Members of his family nevertheless continued to use the house for several decades, and the Villa was classified as a historic monument in 1966.
Courtesy Villa Kérylos on Instagram
Today, visitors know Kérylos primarily as an architectural masterpiece and an extraordinary homage to ancient Greece. This latest project promises to look beyond its marble columns, mosaics and frescoes to discover something more intimate: the lives of the people who called it home.
For families with a forgotten photograph in an album, an old letter tucked away in a drawer or simply a story handed down from an earlier generation, that small piece of history could now help complete the story of one of the Côte d’Azur’s most distinctive villas.
Testimonials and inquiries should be sent by email to exporeinach@villakerylos.fr by midnight on 30 November, 2026.
VENUE DETAILS
Villa Kérylos
Impasse Gustave Eiffel
06310 Beaulieu-sur-Mer
Tel: + 33 04 93 01 47 29
PHOTO CREDITS
- Lead image by Mullanasrudin – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
- Other photos and posts as credited
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