Cannes ( , , ; oc, Canas) is a city located on the
French Riviera
The French Riviera (known in French as the ; oc, Còsta d'Azur ; literal translation " Azure Coast") is the Mediterranean coastline of the southeast corner of France. There is no official boundary, but it is usually considered to extend fro ...
. It is a
commune located in the
Alpes-Maritimes
Alpes-Maritimes (; oc, Aups Maritims; it, Alpi Marittime, "Maritime Alps") is a department of France located in the country's southeast corner, on the Italian border and Mediterranean coast. Part of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, it ...
department
Department may refer to:
* Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility
Government and military
*Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...
, and host city of the annual
Cannes Film Festival,
Midem, and
Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. The city is known for its association with the rich and famous, its luxury hotels and restaurants, and for several conferences.
History
By the 2nd century BC, the
Ligurian
Oxybii established a settlement here known as ''Aegitna'' ( grc, Αἴγιτνα). Historians are unsure what the name means. The area was a fishing village used as a port of call between the
Lérins Islands.

In 154
BC, it became the scene of violent but quick conflict between the troops of Quintus Opimius and the
Oxybii.
In the 10th century, the town was known as Canua. The name may derive from "canna", a
reed. Canua was probably the site of a small Ligurian port, and later a Roman outpost on Le Suquet hill, suggested by Roman tombs discovered here. Le Suquet housed an 11th-century tower, which overlooked swamps where the city now stands. Most of the ancient activity, especially protection, was on the Lérins Islands, and the history of Cannes is closely tied to the history of the islands.
An attack by the
Saracens in 891, who remained until the end of the 10th century, devastated the country around Canua. The insecurity of the Lérins islands forced the monks to settle on the mainland, at the Suquet. Construction of a castle in 1035 fortified the city by then known as Cannes, and at the end of the 11th century construction was started on two towers on the Lérins islands. One took a century to build.
Around 1530, Cannes detached from the monks who had controlled the city for hundreds of years and became independent.
During the 18th century, both the Spanish and British tried to gain control of the Lérins Islands but were chased away by the French. The islands were later controlled by many, such as Jean-Honoré Alziary and the
Bishop of Fréjus. They had many different purposes: in the middle of the 19th century, one served as a hospital for soldiers wounded in the
Crimean War.
Henry Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux
Henry Peter Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux, (; 19 September 1778 – 7 May 1868) was a British statesman who became Lord High Chancellor and played a prominent role in passing the 1832 Reform Act and 1833 Slavery Abolition Act.
...
bought land at the Croix des Gardes and constructed the villa Eleonore-Louise. His work to improve living conditions attracted the English aristocracy, who also built winter residences.
At the end of the 19th century, several railways were completed, which prompted the arrival of
streetcars
A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...
. In Cannes, projects such as the Boulevard Carnot and the rue d'Antibes were carried out. After the closure of the Casino des Fleurs (hôtel Gallia), a luxury establishment was built for the rich winter clientele, the Casino Municipal next to the pier Albert-Edouard. This casino was demolished and replaced by the new Palace in 1979.
In the 20th century, new luxury hotels such as the
Carlton
Carlton may refer to:
People
* Carlton (name), a list of those with the given name or surname
* Carlton (singer), English soul singer Carlton McCarthy
* Carlton, a pen name used by Joseph Caldwell (1773–1835), American educator, Presbyterian ...
,
Majestic,
Martinez, and
JW Marriott Cannes were built. The city was modernised with a
sports centre, a post office, and schools. There were fewer British and German tourists after the
First World War, but more Americans. Winter tourism gave way to summer tourism, and the summer casino at the Palm Beach was constructed.
In 1931,
Karan Singh the crown prince of
Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir may refer to:
* Kashmir, the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent
* Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), a region administered by India as a union territory
* Jammu and Kashmir (state), a region administered ...
was born at the
Martinez Hotel.
The city council had the idea of starting an international film festival shortly after World War II.
On 3 November 2011, it hosted the
2011 G20 summit.
Climate
Cannes has a
subtropical
The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical zone, geographical and Köppen climate classification, climate zones to the Northern Hemisphere, north and Southern Hemisphere, south of the tropics. Geographically part of the Geographical z ...
Mediterranean climate (
Köppen climate classification ''Csa'') and the city enjoys 11 hours of sunshine per day during summer (July), while in winter (December to February) the weather is mild. Both seasons see a relatively low rainfall and most rain occurs during October and November, when over falls.
Cannes summers are long and warm, with summer daytime temperatures regularly hitting , while average temperatures are about . Temperatures remain high from June to September, the busiest time of the year.
Mean temperatures drop below for only three months of the year (December to February). The spring and autumn are also warm, although more suited to those who prefer slightly cooler weather.
Population
Landmarks
The
Promenade de la Croisette is the waterfront avenue with
palm trees. La Croisette is known for picturesque beaches, restaurants, cafés, boutiques and luxury hotels.
Le Suquet, the old town, provides a good view of La Croisette. The fortified tower and the Chapelle Sainte-Anne house the Musée des Explorations du monde. A distinctive building in Cannes is the
Russian Orthodox church.
Hotels
File:Hôtel Majestic Barrière (2014).JPG, Hotel Barrière Le Majestic Cannes
File:Hôtel Martinez, Cannes (2014).JPG, Hôtel Martinez
File:Hotel Carlton Cannes Francja - widok z nowego portu. - panoramio.jpg, InterContinental Carlton Cannes
The Carlton Cannes is a historic 332-room luxury hotel opened in 1911, located at 58 La Croisette in Cannes on the French Riviera. It is famous for hosting movie stars from around the world during the annual Film Festival. After operating as a ...
Villas
Cannes of the 19th century can still be seen in its grand villas, built to reflect the wealth and standing of their owners and inspired by anything from medieval castles to Roman villas. They are not open to the public. Lord Brougham's Italianate Villa Eléonore Louise (one of the first in Cannes) was built between 1835 and 1839. Also known as the Quartier des Anglais, this is the oldest residential area in Cannes. Another landmark is the Villa Fiésole (known today as the Villa Domergue) designed by Jean-Gabriel Domergue in the style of Fiesole, near
Florence, which may be visited on appointment.
ÃŽle Sainte-Marguerite

It took the
Man in the Iron Mask 11 years to leave the tiny, forested
St Marguerite Island. The mysterious individual was believed to be of noble blood, but his identity has never been proven. His cell can be visited in the Fort of St Marguerite, now renamed the Musée de la Mer (Museum of the Sea). This museum also houses discoveries from shipwrecks off the island, including Roman (1st century BC) and Saracen (10th century AD) ceramics.
ÃŽle Saint-Honorat

Cistercian monks are the only inhabitants of the smaller, southern
St Honorat Island. Monks have inhabited the island since AD 410 and, at the height of their powers, owned Cannes,
Mougins, and
Vallauris. Medieval vestiges remain in the stark church, which is open to the public, and in the ruins of the 11th-century monastery on the sea shore. The monks inhabit the
Lérins Abbey and divide their time between prayer and producing red and white wines.
Museums
The Musée d'Art et d'Histoire de Provence houses artifacts from prehistoric to present, in an 18th-century mansion. The Musée de la Castre has objects from the Pacific Atolls, Peruvian relics and Mayan pottery. Other venues include the Musée de la Marine, Musée de la Mer, Musée de la Photographie and Musée International de la Parfumerie.
Theatre and music
Cannes is not known for traditional theatre. However, small venues stage productions and host short sketches during the annual International Actors' Performance Festival. Local theaters include the Espace Miramar and the Alexandre III.
Festivals and show events

* The
Cannes Film Festival founded in 1946 is held annually, usually in May, at the
Palais des Festivals et des Congrès.
* The
Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is a global event and awards show for those working in advertising and related fields, held annually in June.
*The
Festival d'art pyrotechnique de Cannes is an annual fireworks competition held in the summer at the Bay of Cannes.
*
Midem, the foremost trade show for the music industry.
*
MIPIM, the world's largest property-related trade show.
*Carnival on the Riviera is an annual parade through the streets to mark the 21-day period prior to
Shrove Tuesday.
*The International Festival of Games is festival of bridge, belote, backgammon, chess, draughts, tarot and more (February).
*Cannes Yachting Festival is an event for boating enthusiasts in the Vieux Port (September).
*The International Actors' Performance Festival: comedy sketches and performances by fringe artists
*The International Luxury Travel Market brings together under one roof the top international luxury travel providers and suppliers from all around the worl
*The
Global Champions Tour showjumping league has an annual event in the ports of Cannes.
*
MIPCOM and
MIPTV, held in October and April respectively, the world's most important trade markets for the television industry.
* The Pan-African Film Festival, held in early April and featuring films from the African diaspora.
Economy

The area around Cannes has developed into a
high-tech
High technology (high tech), also known as advanced technology (advanced tech) or exotechnology, is technology that is at the cutting edge: the highest form of technology available. It can be defined as either the most complex or the newest te ...
cluster. The technopolis of
Sophia Antipolis lies in the hills beyond Cannes. The Film Festival is a major event for the industry which takes place every year during the month of May. In addition, Cannes hosts other major annual events such as the MIPIM, MIPTV, MIDEM, Cannes Lions, and the NRJ Music Awards. There is an annual television festival in the last week in September.
The economic environment is based on tourism, business fairs, trade and aviation. Cannes has companies, of which are traders, artisans and service providers. In 2006, 421 new companies were registered.
Cannes hosts the
Cannes Mandelieu Space Center, headquarters of
Thales Alenia Space, the first European
satellite manufacturer.
Sport
Cannes is home to the footba