French Property News – August 2019

40 French Property News August 2019 http://www.completefrance.com

LOCATION

Cézanne and contemporaries
Van Gogh was not the only acclaimed painter in
the region. In Aix-en-Provence, close to
Marseille Provence Airport, visitors can retrace
the steps of post-Impressionist painter Paul
Cézanne, and enjoy the vistas of his beloved
Ste-Victoire mountain, which he painted several
times. The town location is beneficial for those
looking for opportunities to work or study,
although the spaciousness of the villas here
provide a village feel even when surrounded by
hustle and bustle outside the home.
This is a best of both worlds scenario. As
local Leggett agent Kyela Poesch explains: “Aix
is rich in universities, schools and international
and bilingual colleges, offering diverse
experiences to students.
“Within the hour you can be on the most
beautiful beaches or you can lose yourself in the
Luberon and Alpilles regional parks.”
Kyela also recommends surrounding villages
such as Lauris, where properties are available
at sought-after prices. “You can get a beautiful
renovation project or a village house for under
€500,000, or a stone house with a gîte or a
stunning villa on a golfing domain for
€650,000,” she adds.
Meanwhile, for those with ambitions to move
further east along the coast towards the Italian
border, the likes of Menton, with its Jean
Cocteau museum, and Nice, the former home
of Henri Matisse, may appeal. For Matisse, his
time on the Riviera symbolised liberation from
persecution. During the Nazi invasion of France
in the 1940s, Hitler’s army waged a war on
“degenerate art” in the capital, intending to

eliminate most visual forms of creative

expression. Matisse was forced to sign an

‘Aryan oath’ declaring that he would not

exhibit any Jewish-owned paintings. However,

even for a Christian like himself, painting was

an endangered art as it represented free

thinking and dominion over one’s own

imagination – and those who enjoyed it were

deemed less susceptible to the coercive

demands of the Nazi regime. His daughter

Marguerite was active in the French Resistance

and escaped with her life from a train bound

for Ravensbrück concentration camp, while his

son Pierre helped Jewish and anti-Nazi French

artists escape to the United States. However, by

living in the upscale neighbourhood of Cimiez

in Nice, far from the French capital, Matisse

was able to isolate himself from most of the

horrors of the Nazi occupation and enjoy a

secluded private existence by the sea.

€194,400: Maussane maison

For budget-conscious buyers, this bargain two-bed

property in Maussane-les-Alpilles offers charming

rural surroundings plus access to a spacious

private pool and tennis courts. It also boasts close

proximity to the arty locations of Arles and

St-Rémy-de-Provence.

leggettfrance.com

The House with the Cracked Walls by

Cézanne, 1890s, near Aix-en-Provence

Artist Jean Cocteau was an honorary citizen of Menton in the 1950s