Bendor Island (Île de Bendor in French, ) is a French island in the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ...

. It is located 300m off the coast from the commune of

Bandol Bandol (; oc, Bandòu) is a commune in Var department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, southeastern France. Bandol and the seat of its eponymous commune, was founded in 1595 and built around a small military fort. The Bandol wine region, lo ...

, in the

Var Var or VAR may refer to: Places * Var (department), a department of France * Var (river), France * Vār, Iran, village in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran * Var, Iran (disambiguation), other places in Iran * Vár, a village in Obreja commune, Ca ...

department in the

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (; or , ; commonly shortened to PACA; en, Provence-Alps-French Riviera, italic=yes; also branded as Région Sud) is one of the eighteen administrative regions of France, the far southeastern on the mainland. Its pref ...

region in south eastern France. It was bought and subsequently developed by the industrialist

Paul Ricard Paul Louis Marius Ricard (; July 9, 1909 – November 7, 1997) was a French industrialist and creator of an eponymous pastis brand which merged in 1975 with its competitor Pernod to create Pernod Ricard. Ricard was also an environmentalist and t ...

in 1950. 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. A frequent daily ferry service runs to the island from Bandol.

Facilities

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. Both museums were built by Ricard, admittance is free, but they are open during July and August only. Sporting amenities include tennis courts, water sports facilities, a diving club and a marina. The marina is the smallest on the Côte d'Azur, with a surface area of just 2.8 km².

History

In 1950 the island was bought by the industrialist

(1909–1997) the founder of

Ricard Ricard is a surname, as well as a Catalan name. Notable people with the surname include: * Étienne Pierre Sylvestre Ricard (1771–1843), French general under Napoleon * Hámilton Ricard (born 1974), Colombian footballer *Jean-François Ricard (bo ...

, the

pastis Pastis (; oc, Pastís, ; or ) is an anise-flavoured spirit and apéritif traditionally from France, typically containing less than 100 g/L sugar and 40–45% ABV ( alcohol by volume). Origins Pastis was first commercialized by Paul Ricard ...

manufacturer. At the time of Ricard's purchase the sole inhabitant of the island was a sheep. Ricard also bought the

Île des Embiez The Île des Embiez () is a French island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is the largest island in the Embiez archipelago. It is located off the coast of the port of Le Brusc in the commune of Six-Fours-les-Plages, in the Var department in the Prove ...

in 1958, located nearby off the coast of

Six-Fours-les-Plages Six-Fours-les-Plages (; oc, Sièis Forns lei Plaias, Sièis Four in provençal), is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. Inhabitants of Six-Fours-les-Plages refer to themselves as "S ...

. Under Ricard's patronage the island became a magnet for the

jet set In journalism, jet set is a term for an international social group of wealthy people who travel the world to participate in social activities unavailable to ordinary people. The term, which replaced "café society", came from the lifestyle of tra ...

of the 1960s. Visitors to the island included

Mireille Darc Mireille Darc (; 15 May 1938 – 28 August 2017) was a French model and actress. She appeared as a lead character in Jean-Luc Godard's 1967 film '' Weekend''. Darc was a Knight of the Legion of Honour and Commander of the National Order of Me ...

Gilbert Bécaud Gilbert Bécaud (, 24 October 1927 – 18 December 2001) was a French singer, composer, pianist and actor, known as "Monsieur 100,000 Volts" for his energetic performances. His best-known hits are " Nathalie" and "Et maintenant", a 1961 release ...

Salvador Dalí Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, Marquess of Dalí of Púbol (; ; ; 11 May 190423 January 1989) was a Spanish surrealist artist renowned for his technical skill, precise draftsmanship, and the striking and bizarre images in ...

, Melina Mercouri,

Marcel Pagnol Marcel Paul Pagnol (; 28 February 1895 – 18 April 1974) was a French novelist, playwright, and filmmaker. Regarded as an auteur, in 1946, he became the first filmmaker elected to the Académie française. Although his work is less fashionabl ...

Annie Cordy Léonie Juliana, Baroness Cooreman (16 June 1928 – 4 September 2020), also known by her stage name Annie Cordy, was a Belgian actress and singer. She appeared in more than 50 films from 1954 and staged many memorable appearances at Bruno Coq ...

Fernandel Fernand Joseph Désiré Contandin (8 May 1903 – 26 February 1971), better known as Fernandel, was a French actor and singer. Born near Marseille, France, to Désirée Bedouin and Denis Contandin, originating in Perosa Argentina, an Occitan t ...

. A monolith built by Ricard dominates the marina. The monolith is inscribed with the phrase ''Nul bien sans peine'' ("

No pain, no gain No pain, no gain (or "No gain without pain") is a proverb, used since the 1980s as an exercise motto that promises greater value rewards for the price of hard and even painful work. Under this conception competitive professionals, such as athletes ...

") 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.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bendor Landforms of Var (department) Islands of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Mediterranean islands Tourist attractions in Var (department)

Facilities

History

See also

References

External links