La Pausa
Gabrielle Chanel’s “ideal Mediterranean villa”
on the French Riviera
![[object Object]](https://www.chanel.com/puls-img/1745590057303-lapausamainvisuelmobilex3jpg_948x1179.jpg)
Following a meticulous restoration overseen by architect Peter Marino, La Pausa will soon reopen as a private home and site for cultural creation, inspiration, and education, continuing Chanel’s commitment to the arts.
La Pausa was the only house entirely imagined by Gabrielle Chanel, at a moment when the French Riviera was the epicentre of modern art and the international social scene. Built in the hills of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin in 1928 as an emblem of Chanel’s success and independence, the villa ended up representing a true pause from her business and social activities in Paris.
It served as a beloved second home for Chanel, where she enjoyed some of her happiest moments—entertaining, playing tennis, dancing, relaxing, and hosting a wide range of guests. Many of the leading artists of the era stayed at La Pausa in an artist residency avant la lettre, including Salvador Dalí, who spent four remarkably productive months at the villa in 1938, during which he created some of his most iconic paintings. At La Pausa, Chanel cultivated an art of living that balanced elegant relaxation and invigorating freedom, notable for its break from the traditions and protocols of the early 20th century.
With La Pausa, CHANEL extends CHANEL Heritage Sites, an initiative to restore and activate places of cultural significance in France in Mademoiselle Chanel’s life.
The villa is a private residence and will be open by invitation only.