This Exquisite French Estate Is On The Market For More Than £50m

From its expertly landscaped gardens and stunning views, to its rich history and luxurious amenities, this mega-villa in the heart of the French Riviera comes somewhere close to paradise. And it could be yours – if you have a cool £51.16m to spare. Take a look at Domaine de la Belle Étoile below.

Inside A Luxurious Mega Villa On The French Riviera

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As the British summer sun slowly sinks back behind the clouds for another year, we are left dreaming of a place with more consistently blue skies. And where better to escape from the gloom and doom than the French Riviera – the beloved paradise of writers like F Scott Fitzgerald and James Joyce, as well as Hollywood starlets like Grace Kelly and Brigitte Bardot?

And if you want the perfect home away from home, why not consider the £50m mega-villa Domaine de la Belle Étoile? That is, of course, if you have the cash to spare. Located on the Cap d’Antibes peninsula – which is situated between the towns of Antibes and Juan-les-Pins – the stunning estate spans 2.65 acres across the coastline.

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The estate itself was created on the site of the former Hôtel Provençal Tennis Club. Between the 1930s and 1970s, the club hosted eight tennis courts and a clubhouse, receiving royal and A-list visitors including Marilyn Monroe, Coco Chanel, the Duke of Windsor, Jackie Kennedy and Charlie Chaplin.  

Completely transformed from its tennis club origins, Domaine de la Belle Étoile now consists of a contemporary villa designed by Nice-based architectural practice Atelier Baraness + Cawker. With 14,2000 sqft to play with, the main villa includes five reception rooms, six bedroom suites, three kitchens (who could live without their family kitchen, chef’s kitchen and outdoor kitchen?), a study, cinema room, glass-walled swimming pool, plus a series of covered loggias terraces. The grounds also hold two guest houses, Villa Céleste (transformed from the original tennis clubhouse) and Villa Capella, with the furnishings and decor of all three villas designed by Monaco-based interiors company Casamanara.

The Gardens

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The series of themed gardens and al fresco spaces are designed by renowned Côte d’Azur landscaper Région Espaces Verts as tribute to the landscapes of Provence and the French Riviera. Overlooking the turquoise waters of the Port de l’Olivett beach, the grounds blend the architectural geometric features of the classic ‘Jardin a la Francaise’ and freer naturalistic planting to create an oasis of greenery. 

The garden rooms each evoke a distinct region of the South of France – the most beautiful of them all being the private ‘roserai’ (or rose garden). This perfume-filled quadrant is a homage to Antibes’ history as the ‘capital of the rose’. Varieties include the double cream and red striped Rosa ‘Scentimental’, the ravishing vivid pink floribunda ‘Leonardo Da Vinci’, as well as the citrus-scented ‘Baide des Anges Romantica’. 

Elsewhere, the organic garden boasts an olive grove interspersed with lavender, an aromatic chef’s garden and a secluded meditation area. The gardens are complete with a breathtaking variety of native trees, shrubs, flowers, fruit trees and culinary and medicinal herbs, many drought-resistant to suit the Mediterranean climate. Other key features of the grounds include 10 25-metre high pines, alongside five cypress trees (a traditional French symbol of hospitality) and three 100-year-old olive trees.

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Adrien de la Rouère, Head of Site Management at Région Espaces Verts says: ‘For the landscaping and planting for Domaine de la Belle Étoile it was important for us to anchor the gardens in its location, creating a connection with some of the region’s most iconic landscapes. We have carefully curated plants that thrive in the Mediterranean climate, such as olive trees, lavender, jasmine, bougainvillea and phormiums, with form, fragrance and dazzling colour throughout the scheme.’

Wine-lovers will also be able to enjoy the three-tiered vineyard, bursting with four different varieties of grape local to the region. With a classical fountain and a boules court, what more could you ask for? Ample space has also been allowed for a helipad and a tennis or basketball court.

How To Buy It

Domaine de la Belle Étoile is available for viewings by prior appointment. The residential estate, providing the main villa and two guest houses, is being offered to the market on a turn-key basis. The estate is listed for sale for £51.16 million (€58.95 million or $69.25 million USD).

Find out more at domaine-de-la-belle-etoile.com