In 1869, the Romanian prince Grégoire Bibesco-Bassaraba de Brancovan acquired from Count Walewski, Napoleon’s son, a property then known as Villa Irene, on which he created immense landscaped grounds and renamed Villa Bassaraba. A nearby chateau, which no longer exists today, was at that time used for family gatherings, while the chalet became the summer residence of his daughter Anna de Noailles. Having spent a large part of her childhood and youth here, the future member of the French Academy was greatly inspired by this place and would later reference it in her work “A Life of Poems, Poems of a Life”: I owe everything to a garden in Savoie and the double azure that dazzled me from childhood. It was there that the universe was revealed to me”.
Concealed behind a wrought-iron gate, today, the property, extending across wooded grounds of nearly 7,400 m², reaches all the way to the French shores of Lake Geneva, whereas Villa Bassaraba, standing in the middle of the estate, was built in the 19th century according to the tradition of local Swiss chalets. Combining a plaster-coated foundation with carved timber exteriors assembled according to Swiss techniques from this time period, it features wide eaves, openwork bargeboards, carved friezes, ornate wooden balustrades and balconies bearing the “BB” monogram, which recall the meticulous attention paid to its architectural design.
As for the dwelling, it features nearly 480 m² of inhabitable floor area spread out over three floors, whereas a covered patio, once encased in glass and used as a conservatory, extends the living areas, the latter of which primarily face the lake, as do the majority of its eight bedrooms. In addition, a lift provides access to all of the villa’s different levels and an underground passageway once connected the villa directly with the lakeshore, while the property has preserved several unique details: a registered private port protected by a jetty and featuring a boathouse with three lock-up garages, an ancient fountain, as well as grounds with several remarkable trees.
It should be noted that the villa will require a large-scale restoration, which, once completed, will have made it possible to conserve one of the most emblematic examples of Lake Geneva holiday homes from the late 19th century.

The Villa

The ground floor
Accessible via a wooden porch, the front door opens on to an immense foyer featuring an original staircase and a lift, while, past the threshold, one’s gaze is drawn to Lake Geneva, an omnipresent sight thanks to the dwelling’s wide windows facing the lake. With chequerboard parquet floors, moulded wood-panelled walls and windows with espagnolette locking devices, the living areas are made up of a large drawing room, two dining rooms – including one that could easily be turned into a bedroom – as well as an adjacent library area, whereas the covered patio, once enclosed by glass, naturally extends these living spaces towards the grounds.
The first floor
The staircase ascends to a landing that provides access to four bedrooms. The primary bedroom, with approximately 45 m², faces the lake and includes built-in cupboards as well as an en-suite bathroom of nearly 20 m², while, with moulded wood panelling throughout this floor, the other bedrooms range in size between 25 and 32 m².
The second floor
Under the wooden rafters and with a floor-to-ceiling height of 2.65 metres, it is made up of four additional bedrooms and a wardrobe, while a skylight provides plenty of natural light for the central corridor and the main bedroom, with approximately 30 m², gives on to a carved wooden balcony.
The basement
This includes several of the villa’s service areas: store rooms, a wine cellar, a boiler room as well as a period kitchen and the former underground passageway towards the lake, while this level could be turned into a garage if so desired.