Villa Rocabella: Belle Époque villa at Cap Brun, near Toulon, with direct sea access · ref. ST87

Villa Rocabella is a Belle Époque villa at Cap Brun, in Le Pradet near Toulon in the Var, a few minutes from Toulon on the Mediterranean coast. Built at the end of the 19th century, it stands in a private park of three hectares, overlooks the sea and has views on all sides. It is typical of the large Napoleon III-style estates built on the Riviera at the time by the architect H. G. Tersling. The villa and its gardens have been completely renovated by a French decorator, who acquired the villa to restore its Belle Époque elegance and spirit.

The villa offers 1,900 m² of living space over three levels and sleeps 12 to 20 guests. It has several lounges, a library with wood-panelled walls, a winter garden with a floor of delicate, hand-painted floral motifs, a dining room and a ballroom with marble columns. The ground floor has the entrance, the library, two lounges, the dining room and an equipped kitchen. The basement has a large reception kitchen that opens onto the garden and the summer dining rooms. The kitchens and the many outbuildings make it possible to hold large receptions.

There are six suites and four further bedrooms. The six very large suites on the first floor each have an entrance, a sitting area and a private bathroom, with ceilings five metres high. Four of them have a balcony, and they look over the sea, the ornamental pools or Mont Faron. Each bathroom is decorated in harmony with the theme of its room. The second floor has four air-conditioned bedrooms, each with its own bathroom. The old construction and high ceilings give the villa natural insulation, so the ground and first floors do not need air conditioning. The rooms stay cool in summer and are easy to heat in winter.

A wide staircase of pink bricks leads from the villa down to the sea, through flowered terraces and restanques, past palm trees, fragrant pines, ornamental pools and flower beds. A small cove directly accessible from the gardens has a rockery grotto and a quiet shore, with a fresh water supply, giving direct access to the sea.

Outside, the villa has a swimming pool and two shaded summer dining rooms, one with a sea view, and a barbecue. There are outbuildings and shaded parking.

Five staff are available, two for housekeeping and three for garden maintenance, and a housekeeper is on site. Part of the staff lives in the outbuildings on the property.

Toulon-Hyères airport is 20 minutes by car and accepts private jets. Toulon railway station is 15 minutes by car, and there is motorway access nearby. Golf, water skiing, sailing and canoeing are available, and there is a marina nearby. The villa is completely fenced and away from the main roads, which allows large receptions or quiet stays with discretion.