Cannes lies on the Côte d'Azur and apart from being noted for its gorgeous sandy beaches, is famous for its film festival held annually each May. Until the early 19th century, it remained a small agricultural and fishing village before foreign and French aristocrats started to build vacation homes in the area. Gradually Cannes turned into a resort town and what was once a little village, whose sole wealth was its absolute uniqueness, has since became the haunt of crowned heads and billionaires, then a city of Stars, Festivals and International Conventions.