vast wooded grounds and a sweeping view of the city’s natural harbour
Location
The property is nestled on a hillside in Toulon in south-east France, four kilometres from the city centre, in a calm, residential district of the city at the foot of a mountain: Mont Faron. The splendid beaches of the city's Le Mourillon district are around 12 minutes to the south, as are small, unspoilt coves. To the north, you can reach several areas of outstanding natural beauty: the Calanques national park, the Sainte-Baume regional nature park and the Maures plain.
Essential shops and amenities are less than one kilometre from the property. You can reach Toulon’s high-speed train station in ten minutes by car. From there, you can get to Paris by rail. Toulon-Hyères airport and Marseille airport are respectively thirty minutes and one hour away.
Description
The villa, crowned with a roof of barrel tiles, has two floors, extended with terraces on three sides. It was entirely renovated in the early 1990s, then in 1998. Its one-metre-thick walls rendered with roughcast bear witness to the building’s long history: the place was probably a priory that dated back to the 17th century – this is suggested by a millstone bearing the year ‘1630’ that was found on the site. The south-facing house is rectangular, built upon the rocky hillside with a flat ground floor. It offers a floor area of around 280m². Its many sliding picture windows across its facade herald a bright interior bathed in natural light. These windows are fitted with electric roller shutters. The west gable wall is made of exposed pointed stonework. A niche in this wall houses two small statues of cherubs.
A vast terrace in front of the south-facing facade of white rendering offers a spectacular vista of the city below and, beyond it, Toulon’s natural harbour. On this terrace, you can relax in an infinity pool where you can admire an unrivalled view of the sea. On the left, two shelters offer shade and coolness in the summer heat. On the north side, two walkways lead to the first-floor terrace and the garden.
The villa is surrounded by its vast wooded grounds on a slope.
The house
The ground floor
A spacious entrance hall connects to a shower room and, on the south side, to a vast reception room used as a lounge with a floor area of over 65m². This extensive space leads out onto the terrace through two sliding glazed doors. In the middle of this room, a staircase of two quarter-turns with ergonomically shaped winder stairs leads up to the first floor. The stairs are adorned with orange ceramic tiles and have wooden nosing. The floors have the same tiles throughout this level.
On the north side, a storeroom connects to a scullery. At the right-hand end of the vast reception room, there is a bedroom that also leads out to the terrace and swimming pool via glazed doors. This bedroom has an en-suite shower room. At the left-hand end of the extensive lounge, there is a spacious fitted kitchen that leads out to the terrace and to the garden on the east side. The kitchen also connects to a scullery with a boiler. The ceiling height is around 2.6m.
The upstairs
A long central corridor connects to three bedrooms on its south side. These bedrooms offer spectacular sea views. On its north side, the corridor connects to two bathrooms with lavatories and to two walk-in wardrobes, one of which has been converted into a small kitchen. The ceiling height is around 2.5m. There is a bedroom at each end of this level. Each of these two end bedrooms has exposed roof beams and a floor area of over 20m². They both offer sweeping sea views. Two doors lead out onto a north-facing terrace where you can enjoy refreshing shade in the summer heat. Throughout this level, the floor tiling is the same as that on the ground floor.
The grounds and swimming pool
The grounds are divided into two sections. The south of the property is mainly taken up by the extensive terrace and its infinity pool that is around 10 metres long and 4 metres wide. The terraces are paved with large bisque-toned tiles. Two shelters made of timber stand on the terrace, as does a barbecue made of brick beneath a cover of barrel tiles. Under the terrace, there is a garage, a cellar and a technical equipment room. The grounds then slope down steeply to the road from a ridge. The north section of the property is a large area of terraced land supported by dry-stone retaining walls at the foot of a mountain: Mont Faron. It offers a vast wood of holm oaks and olive trees.
Our opinion
This splendid villa in a commanding position looks out over the beautiful natural harbour of Toulon. It is a rare gem with an interesting history. Both the property’s interior and exterior spaces are bathed in natural light and decorated with aesthetic harmony. They offer unrivalled vistas. The place is a concentration of precious assets in a sought-after corner of France. From the terrace and its infinity pool, the view of Toulon and the sparkling Mediterranean Sea is breathtaking. Through the glazed south-facing facade, the sun fills the modern reception spaces with natural light. The sloping, wooded grounds are vast. In this wonderful outdoor space, the typical sweet scents of Provence float through the air. This haven is at once comfortable and peaceful. The elongated shape of the dwelling with its broad openings looks like a panoramic photograph. It blends into its enchanting natural backdrop while letting this same backdrop flood its interior. Here, boundaries seem to blur into the horizon.
2 184 000 €
Fees at the Vendor’s expense
Reference 761098
Land registry surface area | 1 ha 5 a 21 ca |
Main building surface area | 270 m2 |
Number of bedrooms | 6 |
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.