Safranier Quarter

You’re now in the Safranier quarter, a part of Antibes’ old town. With picturesque streets, it feels just like a small Mediterranean village. This place actually has a special story. In 1966, locals created the “Free Commune of Safranier,” a symbolic organization meant to preserve neighborhood traditions and bring the community together through festivals and events. While it holds no legal power, it’s helped maintain a truly local way of life—authentic and typical of southern France. It’s this spirit that gives the area its genuine charm, which you’ll notice as you walk around. This square is also where you’ll find the house of Greek writer Nikos Kazantzakis, who lived here for nearly 10 years. He moved to Antibes in 1948 to escape political unrest in Greece and spent a decade writing some of his most important works here—novels, poetry, plays, and travel stories. Author of the classic Zorba the Greek and The Last Temptation, he was nominated 14 times for a Nobel Prize and won the International Peace Prize in 1950. After traveling the world, he passed away in 1957 in Germany. His house is just a few steps ahead, at the corner with Rue du Haut Castelet, marked by a commemorative plaque.