On the Mediterranean coast, between Nice and Monaco, the Greek Villa Kerylos is one of the most extraordinary monuments on the Riviera. Built between 1902 and 1908 in the period the French call the “Belle Epoque”, it is a unique reconstruction of an ancient Greek home. “Kerylos” means Halcyon, often identified as a kingfisher, a poetic mythical bird, considered to be a bird of good omen.
This is a tribute to Greek civilization by two lovers of Ancient Greece, Théodore Reinach, an archaeologist and patron of the arts and Emmanuel Pontremoli, an inspired architect.

The Villa is a faithful reconstruction of Greek noble houses built on the island of Delos in the 2nd century BC This island in the Cyclades archipelago is situated in the Aegean Sea, south of Athens. Far from being just a simple reproduction of dwellings on the island of Delos, Villa Kerylos is a reinvention of ancient Greece. From the arrangement of the rooms to the sophisticated detail of the decor, everything was designed to recreate the atmosphere of a luxurious Greek villa. For both men, the aim was not to produce a pastiche but to create an original work by “thinking Greek”. Emmanuel Pontremoli ingeniously managed to subtly incorporate the modern comfort of villas from the Belle Epoque era into the luxurious setting of a classical ancient villa. For example, the bath in the Balaneion (thermal baths) was filled with water using the taps hidden under round grates and the action of the astonishing folding piano designed by Pleyel is hidden in a case made from the wood of a lemon tree.

The Villa Kerylos is a magical place offering visitors a view of living history, not only of ancient Greece but also of the Belle Epoque.

Théodore Reinach (1860-1928) was the youngest of three exceptional brothers from a family of bankers originally from Frankfurt. Key figures of the French Third Republic, the three Reinach brothers were known as the “Je-Sais-Tout” (“know-it-alls”), both in reference to the initials of their first names: Joseph, Salomon and Théodore, and to their wide cultural learning. Awarded a double doctorate in law and arts at a very young age, Théodore quickly turned his attention to the history of the ancient Greeks. He was an archaeologist, papyrologist, numismatist, musicologist and a member of the “Académie des Inscriptions et Belles Lettres”.
It was his great love of all things Greek that gave rise to the building of the Grecian villa at Beaulieu-sur-Mer, not far from Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild. Madame Reinach was, in fact, the niece of Baron Maurice Ephrussi.

Théodore Reinach spent his holidays at Kerylos with his family. Rather than living the average day-to-day life, he often opened the doors of his Villa to unforgettable visits from people from the world of politics, literature, and arts.
On his death in 1928, he bequeathed the Villa Kerylos to the Institut de France, of which he had been a member.
His children and grandchildren continued to live there until 1967 when the Villa was classified as a Historic Monument. 

Emmanuel Pontremoli, an archaeologist who was passionate about Ancient Greece, was born in Nice in 1865.
A student of mathematics, his father brought him to work in the bank, but he resigned almost immediately in order to concentrate on architecture. He then spent a year at the school of decorative arts in Nice before continuing his studies in Paris.

Winner of the “Grand Prix de Rome” in 1890, he studied at the prestigious Villa Medici along with a number of painters, sculptors, engravers, musicians, and also members of the School of Archeology in Athens. He traveled a lot and studied the architecture of antiquity. He took part in the excavations at Pergamon, as well as those in Didyma in Asia Minor, where he produced a reconstruction of the great temple of Apollo.

In 1897 Théodore Reinach entrusted the construction of Villa Kerylos to him and Pontremoli put everything he had into it.

In 1921, he was made Inspector General of Civil Buildings and National Palaces. By the end of his career, he was the first architect to receive the honor of being appointed director of the Paris École des Beaux-Arts (school of fine arts). He died in 1956.