Our family settled in Provence in the 13th century, and probably even earlier, but there are no records before this. The first lord of Agay, Jean-Vincent de Roux, built a coastal defence fort on the site of the present house for the Duke of Richelieu in 1636. Our family has been here ever since.
It is a single-storey house built on the earthworks of the old fort's fortifications. The attic has been converted into a bedroom with a bathroom. The house is built in a very simple Provencal style. Large windows open onto the rampart terrace and the bay, providing a view that has remained unchanged for over 150 years. The garden is enclosed by the old castle walls. It is a safe haven, protected from the gaze of outsiders. A staircase leads down from the rampart to a large terrace right on the beach, giving sunbathers and beach-goers a unique, exclusive space.
Between the end of the Roman Empire and the Renaissance, the French Mediterranean coast was constantly under attack from pirates. A coastal defence plan was put in place by the Duke of Richelieu, who had the fort of Agay built and which was completed in 1636. It was subsequently converted into a home in the second half of the 18th century. After the Revolution, it was used as a home by the branch of the family that ran the farm until 1944, when the occupying army decided to demolish it in April of that year. Only part of the surrounding walls and the small cellar, the fort's former prison, were spared. The writer and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is my grandmother's brother. He stayed in Agay many times and got married here on 12 April 1931. The memory of "Uncle Antoine" is very present in the house through many objects around. The current house was rebuilt in 1950.
The house is a unique place in the Mediterranean. It turns its back on the hustle and bustle of the world and allows you to escape, alone, as a couple or with your family. It is a family place with all modern comforts but without ostentatious luxury. You can moor your boat in front of the house on a fixed buoy in the summer, and where you want in the winter. Situated halfway between Cannes and Saint-Tropez, the location is ideal for exploring the region and the Esterel massif. In the mornings and evenings, you can catch rockfish in front of the house. At the beginning of the beach, an underwater plateau stretches out to the right, southwards for around 200 metres, giving you the opportunity to take a swim and observe the fish, sea anemones, octopus, etc., with only flippers and mask.
The "Agathos” club restaurant at the end of the beach. You can go there barefoot, and although it's not haute cuisine, the food is very good. The restaurant and the "Grand Hôtel Bain" in Comps-sur-Artuby. The workshop of the ceramist Hugues Liberato in Bargème. The "pilgrimage" walk to the Sainte-Baume de l'Esterel, the cave where Saint Honorat lived as a hermit. The monastery restaurant on the island of Saint-Honorat which can only be accessed by boat. A walk around our Ubac estate, with its unique view of the sea and the Esterel massif.
For a small reception or wedding, the property has a unique outdoor space with terraces overlooking the sea and at beach level. The interior can be arranged to seat 80 people. A marquee can be used to double capacity, with a mobile kitchen attached if necessary.
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