private mansion with terrace for sale Saint-raphael, France

A belle époque villa with a garden and an unrivalled sea view on the Mediterranean coast between Saint-Raphaël and Cannes. The villa lies in the middle of a terraced garden of around 3,000m² that stretches down to the famous Corniche d’Or coastal road. A caretaker’s house stands at the plot’s north-west corner where it leads onto a road that runs behind the property. The main entrance door leading into the house is in the villa’s rear elevation, on the first floor. You reach it via a bridge from the garden. The plot originally extended on both sides of the famous Corniche d’Or coastal road all the way down to the beach. An orange grove was planted on the sea side and an underground passage was built beneath the road for easy access to the beach. The enclosing wall that demarcates the property is built with the same pattern of stonework as the villa’s elevations. Double-pear balusters crown this wall. A magnificent wrought-iron entrance gate leads into the property from the Corniche d’Or coastal road. A swimming pool lies behind the villa in one part of the vast garden. The villa bears the hallmarks of work by a civil engineer: it is clear that the architectural choices and construction techniques were carefully considered. The floors are built of reinforced concrete, which ensures solidity and structural stability. The villa’s elevations, terraces and retaining walls are built of Sospel stone laid in an opus incertum pattern. Each block of stone was shaped into an irregular hexagon, which gives the property a unique character. The elevations distinctly reflect art nouveau aesthetics. The influence of the famous French designer Hector Guimard, who was a prominent figure of the art nouveau movement, can clearly be seen in the villa’s general style and sculpted details. This particular design adds historical and artistic value to the property. And the many balconies, terraces and loggias of the dwelling give the villa visual force and create harmony between the interior and the exterior.