Villa Wenden, Historic villa in Cannes, France

Villa Wenden is a grand historic villa in Cannes, France, built in an Italianate style with a light-toned facade, multiple storeys, and a flat roofline topped by rounded finials. The building features a higher left section with a columned portico and balcony, a long right wing with a regular row of windows and a glazed conservatory at ground level, and a rounded bay with a small domed roof at the far right, all set behind a balustraded terrace with plants.

Built between 1887 and 1889 by Swiss architects Henri Bourrit and Jacques Simmler, the villa was the residence of Grand Duke Frederick Francis III of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and his wife Anastasia. After the Grand Duke's death in 1897, Anastasia continued to live there until her death, after which the villa passed to her daughter Alexandrine, Queen of Denmark, who sold it in 1929.

The villa's name, Wenden, refers to a region in Mecklenburg, and after it was sold it was renamed Le Rouve, which means 'lord' in Malagasy, a nod to its new owner's role in Madagascar. Today, the building is part of the residential fabric of La Californie, and its presence recalls the time when this area attracted European royalty and aristocracy.

The villa is privately owned and divided into separate residences, so it can only be viewed from the street. The best approach is on foot along Avenue de la Favorite, where you can see the facade and the terrace from the public road.

Villa Wenden was the first house in Cannes to have electricity, a fact that highlights its modern character at the time. The wedding of Princess Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Prince Christian of Denmark, later King Christian X, took place here in 1898, adding a royal chapter to its story.