Villa Kérylos: The world’s most expensive architectural cosplay.

The French Riviera is usually associated with the Belle Époque. It is the land of grand hotels, cream coloured casinos, and wedding cake mansions built by Russian Grand Dukes.

But if you go to the quiet edge of Beaulieu sur Mer, you will find something that makes absolutely no sense.

Standing on a rocky promontory jutting out into the Mediterranean is a pristine, white limestone recreation of an ancient Greek villa from the 2nd century BC. It isn't a ruin, and it isn't a pastiche. It is Villa Kérylos. I visited here during a stop on a Viking cruise, and I say this without a hint of hyperbole: it is the most perfect place I have ever seen.

It was the brainchild of Théodore Reinach, a man who belonged to that very specific category of historical figure: The Wealthy Obsessive. Reinach was an archaeologist, a politician, and a member of the banking dynasty related to the Rothschilds. He didn't just want to study ancient Greece; he wanted to live in it.

So, in 1902, he hired the architect Emmanuel Pontremoli and gave him a blank cheque. The brief was simple: build a house exactly as a noble from the island of Delos would have built it, but put it in the South of France and finish it before the holidays.

A House or a Time Machine?

Most "revival" houses are just standard buildings with some fancy columns stuck on the front. Kérylos is different.

Reinach and Pontremoli spent six years ensuring that every single detail was archaeologically correct. They used the finest materials available: Carrara marble, alabaster, exotic woods, and ivory. There is no wallpaper here. The walls are painted with frescoes using the ancient fresco secco technique, depicting scenes from mythology and legend.

The heart of the house is the Peristyle, a central courtyard surrounded by twelve columns of white marble. The floor is a stunning mosaic depicting legendary creatures, and if you stand in the centre and look up at the square of blue sky, you genuinely forget you are in modern Europe. You expect Socrates to walk out from behind a pillar and start an argument.

Reinach named the house "Kérylos," which is the ancient Greek name for the sea swallow or kingfisher, a bird of good omen. It was a poetic choice, but it also signalled his intention: this was a sanctuary from the noise of the modern world.

Living the Fantasy

Reinach didn't just build the set; he played the part. There are famous stories (though perhaps slightly exaggerated by local gossips) that he would dress in a chiton and invite his guests to dine in the ancient Greek manner. This meant reclining on sloping couches with plaited leather bases in the Triklinos (the dining room) and eating honey and figs while discussing philosophy.

To keep the immersion total, Reinach reportedly discouraged the use of modern forks, forcing his high society guests to eat with their fingers or spoons just as Pericles would have done. The furniture is particularly fascinating and was executed by the master cabinet maker Louis François Bettenfeld.

Because ancient wooden furniture rarely survives, the team had to design everything from scratch based on images found on Greek vases and mosaics. The beds, the tables, and the spectacular "Klismos" chairs were all custom made using traditional joinery techniques.

There are no nails or screws. Every piece is a masterpiece of cabinet making, crafted from exotic materials like Ceylon lemon wood, Australian plum, and American walnut, creating a collection that is likely more luxurious than anything a real Greek citizen ever owned.

Even the lighting was designed to transport you back in time, with translucent alabaster lamps suspended on bronze chains that filtered the electric light into a soft, ancient glow.

Hidden Modernity

Here is where the genius of Kérylos really shines. Reinach was a purist, but even he had his limits. He liked the aesthetic of the 2nd century BC, but he had no interest in the sanitation of the 2nd century BC. He wanted the fantasy of Greece with the comfort of the Edwardian Riviera.

So, the house is actually a high tech marvel. Pontremoli hid all the modern conveniences behind sliding panels and clever joinery. There was electricity, underfloor heating, and running water, but you never saw the wires or the pipes.

The best example is the piano. Reinach loved music, but a grand piano would have ruined the ancient vibe.

So, Pontremoli built a custom cabinet of lemon wood that completely encased an upright piano. When closed, it looked like a sacred chest for storing offerings to Zeus.

The Most Famous Shower in France

You cannot write about Kérylos without mentioning the bathroom.

The Balaneion is a thermal suite that rivals any modern spa, but the upstairs shower is the ultimate flex of Reinach’s obsession.

Instead of standard plumbing, he built a tall, arched alcove lined with marble and intricate mosaics.

There are no "hot" and "cold" taps here. That would be too pedestrian. Instead, the water controls on the wall are labeled in Ancient Greek (like KATAXYΣMA for the overhead deluge), allowing the bather to select their water flow like a Homeric hero.

The Library

For a man like Reinach, the bedroom was just for sleeping; the Library was for living.

This is the most impressive room in the house. It is a double height space filled with sunlight and the smell of old books and waxed wood. The bookcases are made of oak and olive wood, designed to hold Reinach’s large collection.

The desks are positioned to look out over the Mediterranean Sea. It is easy to imagine Reinach sitting here, translating an obscure papyrus, looking out at the blue water and feeling entirely vindicated in his decision to spend a fortune on limestone.

The Practical Details

Location: It is in Beaulieu sur Mer, a short train ride from Nice or Monaco. It is right on the water, so the views are spectacular.

The Neighbours: Just up the road is the pink Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild. Béatrice Ephrussi was Theodore’s relative by marriage. I highly recommend visiting both in one day. You can see Béatrice’s "More is More" approach versus Theodore’s "Intellectual Purity" approach. It is a fascinating study in how two very rich people spent their money very differently.

The Garden: The garden is planted only with flora that would have been found in ancient Greece: olives, vines, pomegranates, and myrtle. It is spare, elegant, and smells incredible in the summer heat.

Villa Kérylos is a reminder that if you are going to have an obsession, you should commit to it 100%. It is the only place in the world where you can feel like an ancient Greek oligarch, even if just for an afternoon.

Villa Kérylos: Expensive architectural cosplay.

Order mini-prints

Villa Kérylos: Expensive architectural cosplay.

Order mini-prints

Palazzo Reale: How to make an entrance in Naples.

The Painted Hall: The Sistine Chapel of South London