The town of Villefranche-sur-Mer is currently undergoing a revitalisation under the new mayor, Robert Capelier.
Born in Villefranche, where he still currently resides, Capelier is an architect of nearly 40 years’ standing. Over the course of his six-year term in office, he will be bringing his professional experience to bear on transforming a community that is grounded in sustainability, mobility and connectivity.
Among his administration is First Deputy Mayor Benjamin Bunger. A former 2026 mayoral candidate, Bunger partnered with Capelier during the second round of the elections process as they shared similar visions and goals for their hometown.
Courtesy Ville de Villefranche-sur-Mer
Also born and raised in Villefranche, Bunger went to the local school in nearby Beaulieu-sur-Mer and finished his studies in Nice with a degree in accounting. He then started his own business and, as an entrepreneur, he worked in many fields, including with nurses and medical billing, rentals, and insurance brokerage. He parlayed his professional experience and became a judge in the commercial court, which he had to halt due to mayoral eligibility requirements prohibiting such conflicts of interest. In his new capacity as First Deputy Mayor, Bunger’s experience in commerce and entrepreneurship serves as a vital tool in achieving the goals of the new administration.
Bunger described growing up in Villefranche, where he hung out with friends and enjoyed the town and its facilities. While he stayed, other friends moved away as they found the town too expensive to live in. “If you go to Nice, you won’t find the same thing. It’s a nice city. You have many things to do, but you do not feel the character of Villefranche. Villefranche is really unique. You have Monaco, you have Menton. It is different. There is a specific thing [here] you don’t find in other places. You have something close in Italy, but you have this specific thing in Villefranche… It’s impossible to imagine living somewhere else.”
Among the many goals Capelier has for this term is to develop the former gas company site for new housing that offers affordability for first-time home buyers, as well as transform the L’Octroi into a vibrant centre of town with shops and public spaces for both residents and visitors.
Courtesy Robert Capelier
Courtesy Robert Capelier
“We need to find a way to help people to live here with a different system to create apartments with cheaper rents… We want to help shops come back because in Villefranche, when I was young, a lot of shops were there. We want to create a new dynamism,” he explained. “I really love this city. The story of my family is here. So for me, I can’t live in another place. I have visited different cities on vacation, yes. I love many, many places, but for me, Villefranche is my home.”
“To connect people, there are not many possibilities… The first issue is to do with distance. We need to connect all parts of the town by bus,” he noted, referring to the distances between the three corniches that divide the Villefranche neighbourhoods. He explained that with the influx of tourism during the summer months, the demand is multiplied fourfold as compared to the quieter winter season.
“The second step,” he added, “is to create events – culture, art. We need to create different things to help people to connect… we want to create small events, and little by little, we will get to know each other. In the past, it was like that: many small, popular and inexpensive events … you can imagine going somewhere in order to discover something. It has to begin with a particular desire.”
Photos courtesy Robert Capelier
Since taking office, Capelier and Bunger’s schedules are quite packed as they connect with the Villefranchois community far and wide, in an effort to connect and listen to what the community wants. Bunger also explained that in order to bring in other businesses, the administration is also thinking of increasing parking for the lower part of the town to ensure accessibility, which will result in increased connectivity.
He also mentioned the impact of sport as a tool in bringing people together, which is currently lacking in Villefranche. His ultimate goal is to rectify this.
Bunger also plans to develop more cultural opportunities, like community barbecue gatherings and even restoring the large wooden oven so that the local community can gather in simple but intentional ways.
In addition to the new facelift of the L’Octroi, Mayor Capelier has also envisioned a widened promenade and activity area for the iconic Plage des Marinières.
Courtesy Robert Capelier
Courtesy Robert Capelier
During his campaign, Capelier described the project: “The goal is to restore Les Marinières to its natural role: that of a pleasant and friendly promenade, open all year round to residents and visitors. The project includes the reorganisation of the embankment and the creation of a shaded promenade, with family and sports areas, as well as simple facilities to allow full enjoyment of the site… In line with this approach to sustainable mobility and traffic calming, a cycle path linking Les Marinières to L’Ange Gardien will also be created. This will improve safety for cyclists and facilitate connections between the different parts of the city.”
According to Bunger, the project will commence in 2027. “The plan is to erase maybe 50 to 70 [parking spots] and to make another near the Marinières.” He explained that just beyond the stairs leading to L’Ange Gardien (towards Saint-Jean-Cap-de-Ferrat), the area can hold roughly 90 parking spots. “So we lose some place there [Les Marinières], but we gain here [L’Ange Gardien].”
“We want to have a real global vision to make that more beautiful,” Bunger explained. “We have a mayor who was an architect… And with my vision of entrepreneurs, we are both well-placed to develop the city… The team [of the other appointed deputy mayors] is really amazing.”
While the new administration awaits the completion of the Citadelle’s renovation plans (already in its tenth year), plans are underway to further enhance the rich cultural history of Villefranche with the creation of a maritime museum. Bunger pointed out that the town’s history owes a lot to the sea, especially as the original residents were fishermen.
Courtesy Robert Capelier
With both Capelier and Bunger born and raised in Villefranche, the pride and passion for their community is evident in the working plans to improve year-round living and connectivity among its residents.
Bunger, himself a father, knows very well the importance and impact of their work.
“At first, I want to be a good father for her,” he says about his daughter. “I want that first, then my seat in the office… I hope she will be proud of all the things I can inspire in her… I hope that if she sees me working hard, creating new things … she will want to be like that in the future and to believe she can do many things. I want to let her dream about our future, because she knows we don’t have limits… I want her to explore in any way she can. And that, for me, is the dream…”
PHOTO CREDITS
- Lead image courtesy Ville de Villefranche-sur-Mer
- All other photos as credited
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