A spacious, completely renovated, villa with a caretaker’s cottage,
swimming pool and tennis court, on an estate of more than 1 hectare in Marseille’s 13th arrondissement
swimming pool and tennis court, on an estate of more than 1 hectare in Marseille’s 13th arrondissement
Marseille,
BOUCHES-DU-RHONE
provence-cote-dazur
13013
FR
Location
Marseille is composed of 111 neighbourhood-villages; one of them, Saint-Jérome, where the property is located, presents multiple, surprising facets: the village centre is composed of small, rather modest-size houses while up in the heights, magnificent properties are scattered in verdant oases. It is on the Saint-Bruno hill where this villa was built at the end of the 19th century, just a stone’s throw away from the former convent of the Sisters of the Visitation, built in the 1930s, which was used to shelter Spanish refugees in 1936 and then Marseille residents who were bombed in 1944.
The property is located 10 minutes by car from the Old Port as well as renowned academic establishments and 5 minutes from the metro on foot. Access to the motorway towards Aix-en-Provence or Aubagne is 5 minutes away by car.
Description
From the gate, a driveway traverses the small wood, ensconcing the property’s entrance in vegetation, before leading to a covered garage and the residence’s entrance. Built in a rectangular shape and expanded by a square forepart in the back of the entirely enclosed lot, the villa, facing south, has two levels and extends over approximately 278 m², overlooking a particularly well-maintained landscaped garden. Flat and extending from east to west, a spacious swimming pool was installed in this part of the property, which gets plenty of sunlight all day long.
With a slightly rolling topography, the grounds then descend towards the tennis court and a building plot, which could be acquired at an additional cost.
A little set back, the caretaker’s house, of approximately 46 m², is adjacent to the property’s border. The two dwellings, although very different in size, present a characteristic Provencal style and a certain architectural harmony, with their understated façades plastered in light ochre, their straight windows, symmetrical and wide, their green painted wooden shutters, white small-pane windows and their classical gabled barrel tile roofs.
With a slightly rolling topography, the grounds then descend towards the tennis court and a building plot, which could be acquired at an additional cost.
A little set back, the caretaker’s house, of approximately 46 m², is adjacent to the property’s border. The two dwellings, although very different in size, present a characteristic Provencal style and a certain architectural harmony, with their understated façades plastered in light ochre, their straight windows, symmetrical and wide, their green painted wooden shutters, white small-pane windows and their classical gabled barrel tile roofs.
The Villa
With two levels, entirely restored in 1982, the vast residence with Provencal style architecture is highlighted by its barrel tile roof, bordered by a double Genoise corbel. Punctuating the plaster-coated façade are straight small-paned windows and French doors as well as a segmented arched picture window, in the left section of the forepart.
The ground floor
The entrance is located on the north side of the house with a heavy carved wooden door that opens onto a spacious and high entrance hall, leading to two distinct areas: the reception space on one side and the domestic space on the other. The entire level is covered in terracotta tile floors and their colour resonates harmoniously with that of the beams and joists, visible throughout as well as the various antique doors that mask cupboards or lavatories. On the southwest side, the entrance hall leads to a dining room extended by a billiards room largely opened towards an L-shaped living room, which is heated by a stone and brick fireplace, the whole forming a reception space of more than 90 m². From the living room, a stonework staircase leads to a spacious office on the mezzanine level. The reception rooms all give onto a terracotta tile patio, facing south and sheltered from the wind. Also opening onto this patio, on the southeast side, is the kitchen with Provencal green faience tiles, a brick oven and exposed irregular wooden beams, which accentuate the traditional southern character of the residence. Lastly, a laundry room and a utility room communicate with a fitted summer kitchen, located in a lean-to adjacent to the villa, equipped with a stone and brick fireplace, with a terracotta tile floor and topped with an exposed beam ceiling. A wooden door on the south side leads to this area, which includes a large table for eating meals, well protected from the intense rays of the summer sun.
The upstairs
From the entrance hall, a staircase covered in terracotta tiles leads to the upper level, where a landing provides access on the east side to a parental suite with a bedroom facing south, a wardrobe and en-suite bathroom with caramel faience tiles and a bathtub, shower and lavatory. On the south side, there are two bedrooms with cupboards and a view of the garden. Lastly, a fourth bedroom, more modest in size, faces north and is associated with a shower room with lavatory, renovated very recently. The bedrooms all have hardwood floors, while one of them is topped with a high sloping ceiling with wooden slats and exposed beams, entirely painted white.
The Outbuildings
The caretaker’s house, located behind the villa, includes, over approximately 46 m² of living space, a living room-dining room with an open kitchen, a bedroom with cupboards, a bathroom and lavatory.
A large carport, of nearly 50 m², provides enough room to park three vehicles. Adjacent to this are a woodshed of approximately 13 m² and a workshop of the same size, on the edge of the property.
Lastly, near the swimming pool, an outside shower was installed in a room of approximately 8 m², which makes it possible to store various accessories.
The Garden
The eastern part of the garden includes a small wood and dovecote as well as the tiled, 12 x 6-metre swimming pool and its patio with a shaded garden salon, while the western part has a tennis court renovated in 2022. Between the two, an ornamental garden is planted with plane and olive trees, a tulip tree, pittosporum, as well as oleanders and helichrysums, which harmoniously delineate the lawns and copses. Below the house, a tall rock garden merges with the vegetation and recalls the time when, at the end of the 19th century, Marseille liked to employ rock workers from Italy.
A building plot of 4,000 m², adjacent to the property could be acquired at an additional cost.
Our opinion
A spacious southern residence with traditional and typical features, scattered with refined modern touches, where the tall ceiling heights, the volume of the reception rooms, the majestic fireplace and the quality of the construction attest to a certain art de vivre and a feeling of refined comfort.
The property, particularly well maintained, is located in the middle of a very peaceful wooded area, a stone’s throw away from the city centre. There is no lack of space here for those who would like to add several beehives or generously host their family.
The adjacent plot of 4,000 m² could be acquired at an additional cost, making it possible to expand the small estate and imagine the construction of one or two additional houses, depending on the project in mind.
Reference 704953
| Land registry surface area | 1 ha 3 a 93 ca |
| Main building surface area | 324 m2 |
| Number of bedrooms | 5 |
| Outbuilding surface area | 50 m2 |
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NB: The above information is not only the result of our visit to the property; it is also based on information provided by the current owner. It is by no means comprehensive or strictly accurate especially where surface areas and construction dates are concerned. We cannot, therefore, be held liable for any misrepresentation.
