French Property News – August 2019

http://www.completefrance.com August 2019 French Property News 41

€740,000: Tarascon farmhouse

This beautifully designed 18th-century

farmhouse boasts four bedrooms, multiple large

reception rooms and a garden filled with cypress,

olive and apricot trees. The location is within

easy reach of Arles city.

home-hunts.com

Stunning views
No such political pressures exist today, but
property buyers can enjoy the peace and
seclusion of Cimiez nonetheless. There’s a
museum dedicated to Matisse in this hilltop
Nice neighbourhood, and another honouring
the persecuted Jewish Modernist painter Marc
Chagall. Besides these must-visit locations,
Cimiez has ruins of an ancient Roman
amphitheatre, an archaeological museum, a
spacious olive grove which once housed the
Nice Jazz Festival but is now a pleasant park,
and a Franciscan monastery with incredible
views over the city.
Its ornate maze of gardens look like a
miniature version of the Villandry Gardens in
the Loire Valley. Opulent Belle Epoque
buildings once owned by aristocrats and
hotels once visited by Queen Victoria appear
alongside crumbling ancient civilisations
which are an art form unto themselves. Plus
the remains of Matisse and the underrated
Fauvist painter Raoul Duffy reside in the local
cemetery, too.
If you can visualise yourself as a resident
here, joining the locals for a game of boules in
the park, or taking up your paintbrush to
produce a watercolour depiction of the
stunning Riviera views, then this could be your
perfect location.
Although Cimiez is considered to be the
Côte d’Azur equivalent of London’s
Knightsbridge, prices are far lower. One
three-room apartment currently for sale here,
complete with a spacious terrace and idyllic
views, retails at just €226,000. Naturally,
villas are pricier, but for bargain-hunters,
nearby Menton offers relatively competitive
rates. Quirky festivals here which might
appeal to the artistic include the annual Fête

du Citron, with its giant sculptures – often of

landmarks like the Eiffel Tower – constructed

entirely out of lemons.

When it comes to all things colourful, few

locations rival south-east France for its lavender,

poppies and sunflowers. As Jennie Tombs – also

a fan of villages like St-Paul de Vence – notes:

“Vibrant lavender fields, the azure blue of the

sea and the lakes, pink skies, and red mountains

all make up this beautiful landscape, which is

hugely popular with artists.”

British painter and sculptor Paul Harris

concurs – in fact, the beauty of Provence has

kept him stationed here for the past 10 years.

“The constant sunshine reflects such vibrant

colours that you can’t help but be inspired,” he

explains. “This is nature at its best. Expect

your creativity to peak like never before.”

From the mainstream greats of art to the

unusual and obscure, and from the inland

cities such as Arles and Aix to coastal idylls

such as Nice – and all the villages in between

• there is sure to be a perfect property in this
  corner of France for the artistic at heart. 

Cafés and restaurants in the

old town of Aix-en-Provence

€234,000: Boulon bolthole

A prime example of how village living can cut

costs, this charming period property with stone

wall interiors and three bedrooms is just 15

minutes by car from the beauty spots of St-Rémy

and 30 minutes from Arles city centre.

laresidence.co.uk

LOCATION