Paul Ricard might have been 100 years old in July 2009. Creator of an empire, provencal industrialist he became well-known all over the world .

However, we do not really know the man in his private life. His centennial, celebrated last summer, was the opportunity to discover a patron of the arts who was also a painter artist. He was a pioneer of sustainable development. We talk about a kind-hearted man, devoted to sharing and action, a passionated aesthete and a fervent defender of nature.

In 1950, when the brilliant builder Paul Ricard bought Bendor, the only inhabitant of the island was a sheep.

This visionary entrepreneur, who was at his pinnacle of glory, became the master of parties that welcomed celebrities and artists on his Island of Bendor.

Yet in rebellion against mass tourism, he dedicated his time to create Bendor as his heaven on sea, a place where it should be pleasant to stay among the artists, lovers who are looking for romantic breakaway or natural amateurs who love nothing but the sea.

The year of 2009 was the commemoration of the Paul Ricard’s centennial, on his island.

“This island was a real passion for me, I built a miniature world and I was able to do everything on it. I had only consider its surface area. The sky and the sea were the only limits of my dreams."

Extract from the text: Paul Ricard “La Passion de creer”.

Download the Paul Ricard Centenary press release (PDF format 1.16 Mo) Bendor and les Embiez Island (Var) celebrate Paul Ricard centenary ...(more)