Grasse
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6 rooms
260 m²
615 000 €

Villa in Grasse, Cote d'Azur, France
Ref 012016-001 Built in the 1930's, this Art Deco style villa sits on the hill overlooking the old town of Grasse, and the beautiful valley below, all the way to Cannes and the sea. The views are simply breathtaking. More in the style of a townhouse, the house is made up of 260m2 and 3 levels, on a terrain of 450m2. Very convenient walking distance to Grasse old town, and under half an hour to Cannes and Nice airport - this home makes for an ideal second residence and holiday home. There are 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms in the main house, plus a completely separate one bedrooms apartment with its' own access. The wooden floors, high ceilings and multiple indoor and outdoor living spaces create a warm and beautiful environment. The garden space is beautifully maintained, with a Boule court, jacuzzi and a number of patio/seating areas all benefiting from the wonderful views. AREA DESCRIPTION: Grasse is perched in the hills overlooking Cannes and Mougins just half an hour from Cannes, but it is also well served by busses and a recently established rail link. Started in March 2005, the line connects Grasse to Cannes (in 25 minutes), and on to Antibes, Nice, Monaco, Menton, and Ventimiglia, all without changing. The hourly trains are modern TER double-deckers and the top level allows one excellent views of the countryside, villages and homes, rose plantations and olive groves, ancient âmasâ (a mas being an old farm house), stone aqueducts and wild flowers. Grasse has been the home and perfume capital of France and the world since the 17th century and still accounts for two thirds of Franceâs production. The three historic perfume houses, Fragonard, Galimard and Molinard, welcome visitors and provide free guided tours of their factories and the chance to test (and buy) their products on site. The smell of flowers and the cool clear summer air 350m above the sea have drawn visitors and property investors for centuries including Princess Pauline Bonaparte the Emperors sister and Queen Victoria who both spent considerable time here, the latter staying at the Rothschildâs villa or the Grand Hotel! The centre of the town is a melee of narrow winding streets and stairways, a square Saracen tower, remains of the 16th century ramparts and medieval homes dating to the 17th and 18th centuries. There are also superb private mansions including the Hôtel de Cabris, Hôtel de Pontevès, and Court de Fontmichel, magnificent 18th century villas, and the Belle Époque casino (now converted into a conference centre). Property today is just as highly sought after for the same reasons, cooler air in summer and breathtaking views, so there are many more recent villas and apartments than there were, but Grasse retains its character. Back in the old village a narrow street comes out onto the Place du Petit Puy with the 11th-century Notre Dame du Puy cathedral and its huge 18th century clock tower. Inside the cathedral are three paintings by Rubens, commissioned from the then-unknown artist in 1601 by the Archduke Albert for the Santa Croce di Gerusalemme in Rome and gifted to Grasse in the 19th century, and the 1754 painting âChrist Washing the Feet of the Apostlesâ by Jean-Honoré Fragonard, whose name is now synonymous with perfume! A 90 minute historical walking tour of Grasse has been mapped by the Office de Tourisme for those interested, and the walks through the forests to discover the many caves and grottos in the limestone hills are well worth while for the more adventurous and the nature lovers. The Trou du Curé reaches a depth of 60 meters and the Grotte de la Cascade de St. Sauveur delves to 150 m. There are a number of very ancient artefacts in the region of Grasse going back to the bronze age but what we see today is a true medieval town that withstood Saracen raids in the 9th century and has had a rich but turbulent history since that time including being an independent re
Ref : 012016-001