Mandelieu-la-Napoule

Mandelieu-la-Napoule

*Mandaluec la Napola* (Occitan)
Mandelieu-la-Napoule Mandaluec la Napola (Occitan)
Commune
	View of Mandelieu-la-Napoule
	Coat of arms
	Location of Mandelieu-la-Napoule
	Mandelieu-la-Napoule Mandelieu-la-Napoule
	Coordinates: 43°32′47″N 6°56′17″E / 43.5464°N 6.9381°E
Country	France
Region	Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Department	Alpes-Maritimes
Arrondissement	Grasse
Canton	Mandelieu-la-Napoule
Intercommunality	CA Cannes Pays de Lérins
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Sébastien Leroy (LR)
Area 1	31.37 km2 (12.11 sq mi)
Population (2021)	21,561
• Density	690/km2 (1,800/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	06079 /06210
Elevation	0–486 m (0–1,594 ft) ; (avg. 300 m or 980 ft)
	1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Mandelieu-la-Napoule (French pronunciation: [mɑ̃dəljølanapul]; Occitan: Mandaluec la Napola; locally spelled Mandelieu-La Napoule) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France. Located on the French Riviera, just to the southwest of Cannes and northeast of Théoule-sur-Mer, it had a population of 21,772 in 2020.

Townscape

It is known for the Château de la Napoule, a fortified castle of the 14th century. In the 20th century, Henry Clews Jr (son of the wealthy New York banker Henry Clews) and his wife Marie Clews, entirely renovated the château which they then inhabited. Henry Clews Jr was a painter and sculptor whose work still fills the castle, which is now run as a non-profit arts foundation by his descendants. The château was once an ancient foundation, then a medieval fortress of the Counts of Villeneuve. Today the Roman Tower (4th century) and the Saracen Tower (11th century) are all that remain of the château that was destroyed during the French Revolution. The château designed by the Clews has cloister, terrace overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, Gothic dining room, and studio. In the basement of a tower at the château the remains of Henry (1876–1937) and Marie (1878–1959) are interred in two tombs that Henry designed and sculpted.

Population

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1793	9	—
1800	33	+20.40%
1806	29	−2.13%
1821	89	+7.76%
1831	78	−1.31%
1836	111	+7.31%
1841	256	+18.19%
1846	305	+3.56%
1851	433	+7.26%
1856	334	−5.06%
1861	495	+8.19%
1866	423	−3.09%
1872	455	+1.22%
1876	423	−1.81%
1881	714	+11.04%
1886	835	+3.18%
1891	779	−1.38%
1896	984	+4.78%

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1901	1,695	+11.49%
1906	1,260	−5.76%
1911	1,517	+3.78%
1921	1,723	+1.28%
1926	2,376	+6.64%
1931	2,343	−0.28%
1936	2,342	−0.01%
1946	2,378	+0.15%
1954	2,962	+2.78%
1962	3,981	+3.77%
1968	6,124	+7.44%
1975	9,535	+6.53%
1982	14,283	+5.94%
1990	16,493	+1.81%
1999	17,870	+0.89%
2007	20,621	+1.81%
2012	22,714	+1.95%
2017	22,452	−0.23%

Source: EHESS^[3] and INSEE (1968–2017)^[4]

Transportation

Private air transportation for the town (and for nearby Cannes) is provided by Cannes - Mandelieu Airport. The nearest major airport is Nice Cote d'Azur Airport, the second busiest airport in France; it is about 30 minutes drive from the airport to the town. The commune is reached from exit 41 on the autoroute A8. Mandelieu-la-Napoule station is served by regional trains (TER Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur) towards Fréjus, Cannes, Nice and Les Arcs–Draguignan.^[5]^[6]

Personalities

It is the home of ex MI6 agent Richard Tomlinson.

Bertrand of Orléans-Braganza was born in Mandelieu on 2 February 1941. He is the present head of the Vassouras Branch of the Brazilian Imperial House and de jure Emperor of Brazil (Bertrand I of Brazil). He is also considered a royal prince of the deposed monarchies of France and Portugal. His late brother Luiz of Orléans-Braganza was also born there three years before.

Italian Princess Maria Francesca of Savoy, daughter of the King of Italy Victor Emmanuel III and Queen Elena of Montenegro, lived in Mandelieu and died there on 7 December 2001.

Italian athlete Eddy Ottoz was born in Mandelieu on 3 June 1944. He competed for Italy in the 1964 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan and in the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, Mexico, where he won the bronze medal in the 110 metre hurdles event.