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In the first century B.C., the hill of MOUGINS was the tiny chiefdom of a Ligurian tribe.  During the Roman era, it gained relative importance as an outpost on the Via Aurelia (Roman road).  It finally became a fortified city during the Middle Ages under the reign of King René, the ruler of Provence, with the Abbot of Lerins and the Bishop of GRASSE as the lords of its charter.  Its hilltop location and its stone walls were able to protect MOUGINS from much of the destruction endured by other villages during local conflicts in the XVI century.  From the XVIII century onwards, the community was able to prosper from the fruits of its olive groves and vineyards, and from its jasmine and rose fields. The most famous of its inhabitants was  Commander LAMY (1858-1900), an explorer who spent much of his time in Chad whose capital was long known as Fort Lamy.

At the end of the 19th century, the ideal climate and location of Mougins began to attract many people both French and foreign.  In 1924, Francis Picabia, a surrealist, avant-garde painter, developed a passion for Mougins and decided to settle there.  By sharing his enthusiasm with his friends, he attracted some of the greatest figures of our time to this small village.

The most famous one was Pablo PICASSO who came to the village for the first time in 1936.  Among those who accompanied him were Jean COCTEAU, Paul ELUARD, and Man RAY.  Then PICASSO himself decided to move there permanently.  He chose as his refuge from the world, an ideal site overlooking the Bay of CANNES, near the chapel of Notre Dame de Vie.  There he continued to work and spent the latter part of his life with his wife Jaqueline.

Fernand LEGER, Robert DESNOS, René CLAIR, and Isadora DUNCAN all came to Mougins, as well as Christian DIOR, who lived in the heart of the village while he was producing some of his most famous collections.

Today there are countless artists residing in MOUGINS, where country charm is complemented by a view of the sea.