Beausoleil (French: [bosɔlɛj]; Occitan: Bèusoleu [ˌbɛwsuˈlew]; lit. 'Beautiful Sun') is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France. It adjoins the Principality of Monaco to its south. The commune of Beausoleil was established in 1904; it was supposed to be named Monte-Carlo Supérieur (French: [mɔ̃t kaʁlɔ sypeʁjœʁ]; lit. 'Upper Monte Carlo') for a time but the idea was abandoned after protests from Monégasque authorities.

Geography

Place du Marché (Market Square)

Located on a hillside above the city-state of Monaco, Beausoleil is surrounded by the Tête de Chien and Agel mountains.

It is urbanistically contiguous with the principality and shares some streets where one side of the road is French and the other is Monégasque, such as the Boulevard de France, the Boulevard du Maréchal Leclerc, and the Avenue du Maréchal Foch. Its house and neighbourhood designs also blend in with those on the Monagasque side of the border, in effect forming a transborder agglomeration urban area with Monaco.

Its municipality borders with the Monégasque wards of Monte Carlo, Saint Roman, Saint Michel, Moneghetti and Les Révoires; and with the French municipalities of La Turbie, Roquebrune-Cap-Martin and Peille.[3]

Economy

The commune is intertwined with Monaco. It functions to some extent as a bedroom community as many of its residents are employed in Monaco. The main part of the town consists of Belle Époque houses with ornate entrances. Attractions within Beausoleil include the Gustave Eiffel covered market, St Joseph's Sanctuary (a church with ornate stained-glass windows) and the Fontdivina Fountain and Wash House.

Politics

The town's border with Monaco was largely fixed during the 18th century. What is now known as Beausoleil was administered from La Turbie prior to 1904, when the town was incorporated. Along with other French communes adjacent to Monaco, the electorate has traditionally had a sizable proportion which is left-leaning: Roger Bennati, mayor of the town 1989–1995, served under Communist affiliation. Monaco's political parties are more right-leaning.

There have been no border controls on its border with Monaco since 1963.[4]

Former mayors

DateNameParty
1904Camille Blanc
1929Jacques Subles
1935Paul-Joseph Chiabault
1941François Rochesani
1943Arthur Audoly
1944Marius Floret
1944Auguste Dubar
1953Paul-Joseph Chiabault
1971Paul Massa
1986André Vanco
1989Roger BennatiPCF
1995Gérard SpinelliUDF
2001Robert VialDivers Gauche
2008Gérard Spinelli

Demographics

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1968 14,144—    
1975 12,208−2.08%
1982 11,664−0.65%
1990 12,326+0.69%
1999 12,775+0.40%
2007 13,879+1.04%
2012 13,272−0.89%
2017 13,607+0.50%
2023 11,936−2.16%
Source: INSEE[5]

Education

Schools in Beausoleil:[6]

  • Groupe Paul Doumer et Jean Jaurès (preschool/nursery and elementary school in two campuses)
  • Groupe Les Cigales (preschool/nursery and elementary school)
  • Groupe Les Copains (preschool/nursery and elementary school)
  • École du Ténao (preschool/nursery and elementary school)
  • Collège Bellevue (junior high school)

Transport

The train station Gare de Monaco-Monte-Carlo is located on the border between Beausoleil and Monaco.

A small portion of the A8 autoroute passes through the northern parts of the commune.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
  2. ↑ "Populations de référence 2023" (in French). National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 18 December 2025.
  3. ↑ Beausoleil map at OpenStreetMap
  4. ↑ Jurriaan van Wessem (17 September 2023). "22. Crisis with France: Closed borders and a new Parliament". News.mc. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  5. ↑ Population municipale entre 1968 et 2023, INSEE
  6. ↑ "Les écoles." Beausoleil. Retrieved on April 13, 2017.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beausoleil,_Alpes-Maritimes