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Hey you! Have you ever wanted to live a life of luxury in the South of France? Have you always wanted to inhabit a home that was previously occupied by a European monarch? Do you happen to have an extra $410 million lying around? If the answer to all of those questions (especially the last one) is “yes,” then do I have the offer for you.
Villa Les Cèdres is an almost two-hundred-year-old mansion situated on the coast of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, a small town boasting a population of just 2,000 people (including Paul Allen and Andrew Lloyd Webber). The home itself is 18,000 square feet and features a modest 14 bedrooms on a 35-acre property.
Originally built as an olive farm in 1830, it was eventually purchased by Belgium’s King Leopold II, who pulled the ultimate power move by decorating the walls with portraits of his mistress. It was later sold to the Marnier-Lapostolle family (who made their fortune selling Grand Marnier) before the deed was transferred to Campari after it acquired the liquor company in 2016.
$410 million might sound like a lot, but as you can see from these pictures, there’s a reason they’re asking as much as they are.
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Bloomberg provided some additional information in an attempt to justify the price tag:
The gates of the villa open to a long, winding path, flanked by towering palms and the cedar trees (cèdres in French) that give the house its name. A bronze statue of Athena, draped with a marble tunic, stands guard at the front entrance. Inside, the vibe is decadent and slightly weathered, consistent with the estate’s Belle Epoque heyday: grand sitting rooms, chandeliers, French doors, and floor-to-ceiling 19th century portraits in ornate frames. A wood-paneled library holds 3,000 books on flora and naturalism, including a 1640 edition of a botanical codex worth several hundred thousand euros.
It’s worth noting Villa Les Cèdres doesn’t come stocked with the furnishings that are mentioned, but whoever purchases the house will have the option to buy them at an undisclosed price. However, if that detail makes or breaks your decision, you probably shouldn’t be dropping that much money on a mansion in the first place.