Bendor Island

Not to be confused with Bendor Range.

Bendor Island (Île de Bendor in French, pronounced: [il də bendor]) is a French island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located 300m off the coast from the commune of Bandol, in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in south eastern France. It was bought and subsequently developed by the industrialist Paul Ricard in 1950.[1] The island has a surface area of 0.08 km2, with a coastline of 1.5 km. The island is 17m high at its highest point.[2] A frequent daily ferry service runs to the island from Bandol.[3]

Facilities

At the Bendor island

The island has a main hotel, the Hotel Delos, five restaurants, an artists village, boutiques, an art gallery and two museums: the Universal Exposition of Wines and Spirits (Exposition Universelle des Vins et Spiritueux, EUVS) and the Museum of Ricard Advertising Objects.[4] The both museums were built by Ricard, admittance is free, but they are open during July and August only.[5]

Sporting amenities include tennis courts, water sports facilities, a diving club and a marina.[4] The marina is the smallest on the Côte d'Azur, with a surface area of just 2.8 km2.[4]

History

Neptune, Bendor island

In 1950 the island was bought by the industrialist Paul Ricard (1909-1997) the founder of Ricard, the pastis manufacturer. At the time of Ricard's purchase the sole inhabitant of the island was a sheep.[5] Ricard also bought the Île des Embiez in 1958, located nearby off the coast of Six-Fours-les-Plages.[1]

Under Ricard's patronage the island became a magnet for the jet set of the 1960s. Visitors to the island included Mireille Darc, Gilbert Bécaud, Salvador Dalí, Melina Mercouri, Marcel Pagnol, Annie Cordy, Fernandel.[6]

A monolith built by Ricard dominates the marina.[7] The monolith is inscribed with the phrase "Nul bien sans peine" ("No pain, no gain") which was Ricard's personal philosophy. Ricard built the monolith in tribute to Pierre Paul Puget, a Provençal sculptor, painter and architect of the 17th century. It was from Puget that Ricard took the motto.[4]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Nicola Williams (2010). Lonely Planet Provence & the Côte D'Azur. Lonely Planet. pp. 306–. ISBN 978-1-74059-544-5. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  2. ↑ Charles Arnold (1 August 2008). Mediterranean Islands. Survival Books. p. 92. ISBN 978-0-9556489-1-5. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  3. ↑ "Times and ferry service for the Île de Bendor". Société PAUL RICARD. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Île de Bendor – Practical information". Société PAUL RICARD. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
  5. 1 2 "Museums, exhibitions and galleries on Bendor". Société PAUL RICARD. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
  6. ↑ "Paul Ricard 100 ans" (PDF). Société PAUL RICARD. 2009. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
  7. ↑ "Centenaire Paul Ricard, Artiste et mécène" (PDF). Société PAUL RICARD. 2009. Retrieved 30 December 2015.

External links

Coordinates: 43°07′38.84″N 5°44′59.35″E / 43.1274556°N 5.7498194°E / 43.1274556; 5.7498194

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