Chapel Notre Dame de Vie is the earliest part of the site. The sanctuary of Notre Dame de Vie is a remarkable architectural achievement and has been protected as a
Monument historique (national heritage site) since 1927. The chapel has welcomed people such as Picasso,
Mstislav Rostropovich, Rubinstein,
Charlie Chaplin,
Jean Cocteau, and
Winston Churchill.
History of the chapel 1259 Two
Gallo-Roman funerary inscriptions and a votive altar were found. In 1259, the name Notre Dame appeared in a bull of Pope Alexander IV, in which he confirmed all the possessions belonging to the
Lerins Abbey and among them the castrum of Mougins with its three churches: Saint Jacques, Saint Mary, and Saint Martin.
1519 The chapel was designated under the name Notre Dame de Villevieille. Only minor events and alternations are recorded in the following years till 1656.
1656 The chapel was given its final name of Notre Dame de Vie. In 1654, the chapel was rebuilt and has undergone modifications since 1656 including minor restorations throughout the 20th century.
1730 Until 1730, the chapel was a '''' where families could bring their stillborn children to be baptised and thus, according to Catholic doctrine, enter heaven.
1970 Up until the 1970s, the town and chapel were home to a procession celebrating
Saint Innocence, a virgin who was martyred in Rimini in 390 and was the patron saint of Mougins.
2012 The town of Mougins restored the site with funds raised from public subscription, grants from the
Ministry of Culture and the
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur regional administration. who transformed a traditional farmhouse into a luxury villa. The chapel garden houses a monumental tomb built for the
Guinness family and is the burial site of Bridget Guinness. During their time at Château de Vie (the Mas Notre-Dame de Vie) they hosted many friends including Winston Churchill, who often painted in the gardens, and Pablo Picasso.
Picasso years Pablo Picasso purchased Château de Vie (then Mas Notre-Dame de Vie) in 1961 from Thomas "Loel" Guinness, Benjamin and Bridget's son as a wedding gift for his soon to be wife,
Jacqueline Roque. The estate became Picasso's final home, and he lived in the house until his death in 1973. During his time at the estate, he produced some of his important works from his “later period,” with Jacqueline as his main muse. Jacqueline Picasso never recovered from the death of her husband. She had been frequenting Picasso's grave on the eighth of every month and said that he wanted her to join him. She shot herself, with Picasso’s gun, on 15 October 1986 in the Mougins estate. Among some of the art works produced in the house are
The Dance of Youth, 1961,
Nu Assis dans un Fauteuil, 1963, the
Chicago Picasso, 1967 and
Femme Nue au Collier, 1968. Picasso lived in almost total isolation in his last residence, working prolifically. He developed a routine, sleeping late in the morning and working late into the night, sometimes until the following morning. There he created hundreds of etchings within a very short time, as well as numerous paintings. His change in style was initially less well received by critics and the public than his earlier work. It was a long time before his later works, which were produced without exception in the rooms of Mas Notre-Dame de Vie, were fully appreciated. In 2007 the then owner, property investor
Tom Moeskops, renamed the house
L’Antre du Minotaure (The lair of the
Minotaur) in a reference to Picasso, who made the creature the subject of many of his artworks. == References ==