Brigitte Bardot: La Madrague will be open to the public from next summer

“On the abandoned beach, shellfish and crustaceans…” Brigitte Bardot’s song will soon take on another meaning for visitors to Saint-Tropez. La Madrague, the famous fisherman's house where the actress lived and died, will open to the public next summer, its foundation announced on Friday, confirming information from Le Parisien.

Acquired in 1958, the property will be presented “in its original state”, as Brigitte Bardot left it upon her death. “Visitors will discover it intact, as if BB was simply absent at the time of the visits,” specifies the Bardot Foundation.

A house, not a museum

Brigitte Bardot did not want her home to become a museum, but was not opposed to it being visited, according to the foundation's spokesperson. In 1992, the former actress donated La Madrague to her animal rights organization.

Reception arrangements have not yet been decided. Visits should be made by reservation and in small groups, as the house is cramped. Located on the edge of the Mediterranean, at the end of a communal coastal path, it will not be able to accommodate visitor coaches.

A refuge that has become legendary

“La Madrague is my home, my refuge, my life! It’s me,” Brigitte Bardot told Téléstar. In 1963, she dedicated a melancholic song to this residence which became famous, evoking the end of summer on a deserted beach.

The actress had planned to rest in the garden of her property, but the sandy terrain by the sea made this plan impossible. She was finally buried in the marine cemetery of Saint-Tropez, with a view of La Madrague.