This was fashion icon Coco Chanel's summer home, La Pausa, in Roquebrune which was built for her by her lover, the extravagant Duke of Westminster. She was actively involved in the design of the building which stands in 9 acres and lived here from 1929 to 1953.The estate has a long and fascinating history involving artists, musicians, writers and painters, including Stravinsky, Cocteau, Picasso, Bonnard, Luchino Visconti, Somerset Maugham. It was later bought by author, literary agent and art collector Emery Reves: during that time, Winston Churchill was a frequent guest and it is where he completed his memoirs and enjoyed painting the view. But the villa was also a social destination for other figures as Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, the Duke of Windsor, Noel Coward, Aristotle Onassis, Greta Garbo, Rose Kennedy, as well as Graham Sutherland, Prince Rainier and Princess Grace, Konrad Adenauer, Anthony Eden, and Paul Reynaud.
La Pausa is believed to be for sale at an asking price of around $50 million.
These photos of La Pausa were taken in 2009, (on the old donkey track that leads to Roquebrune village) with the camera before the camera before the camera I currently use! I kept meaning to go back and photograph the house from the other side, and never did but click on Burger-SothebysRealty.com and you'll see many more photographs.
~~~~~Voici ce qui fut la résidence d'été d'une icône de la mode Coco Chanel, La Pausa, à Roquebrune, qui a été construite pour elle par son amant, l'extravagant duc de Westminster. Elle a participé activement à la conception du bâtiment qui se trouve sur 9 hectares et elle a vécu ici de 1929 à 1953.
Le domaine a une histoire longue et passionnante impliquant des artistes, musiciens, écrivains et peintres dont Stravinsky, Cocteau, Picasso, Bonnard, Luchino Visconti, Somerset Maugham. Il a ensuite été acheté par l'auteur, agent littéraire et collectionneur d'art Emery Reves: c'est à cette période que Winston Churchill était invité fréquemment et c' est là où il a terminé ses mémoires et où il aimait peindre la vue. Mais la villa était aussi un lieu de rencontre pour d'autres personnalités telles que le maréchal Bernard Montgomery, le duc de Windsor, Noel Coward, Aristote Onassis, Greta Garbo, Rose Kennedy, ainsi que Graham Sutherland, le Prince Rainier et la Princesse Grace, Konrad Adenauer, Anthony Eden, et Paul Reynaud.
Le prix de vente de La Pausa est estimé à environ $50 millions.
Ces photos de La Pausa ont été prises en 2009, ( sur la vieil chemin muletier qui conduit à Roquebrune-Village) avec l'appareil photo ...avant l'appareil photo... avant celui que j'utilise actuellement ! J'avais l'intention de revenir photographier la maison de l'autre côté et je ne l'ai jamais fait, mais cliquez sur Burger-SothebysRealty.com et vous verrez d'autres nombreuses photos.
This post made me very, very happy, Jilly, thank you. I had heard of the house but had never seen it. Another one of these places where one thinks: "Ah, if these walls could talk..." Bon weekend! Veronique (French Girl in Seattle)
ReplyDeleteI'll check in out if I can the next time I am in the area. Good to see it from your viewpoint.
ReplyDeleteIf I had an extra $50,000,000 I'd buy it. Somehow that doesn't seem expensive for that place...
ReplyDeleteWhat a gal she was.
Yes, Bibi's right - if you imagine that an average appartment in MC costs about 15 millions...
ReplyDeleteBarbara from Germany
I cannot help but wonder if the price is based solely on the residence or because of its history? The guest list sounds like an international who's who!
ReplyDeleteFascinating history. It would be nice for this to be opened as a museum for the public, like William Randolph Heart's Castle, San Simeon, in California, or your Villa Ephresi mansion and gardens close to you in Beauleau sur Mer (spelling?), near Cap Ferrat.
ReplyDeleteI once was given a tour of the Neiman Marcus flagship department store in Dallas. My guide informed me that the Chanel shop in the store, with the ivory color with dark accents, mimics the decor of Coco Chanel's Paris apartment. I wonder if this mansion on the Riviera is decorated the same way. My guess is that she would want more color in the South of France than the urban sophistication of Paris.
WEll I'd have been camped out somewhere with a long zoom everyday! :)
ReplyDeleteV
Dave
ReplyDeleteThe villa has been extensively altered and added to since it was sold in the 50s (presumably) - so too many changes for it to remotely resembled Mlle. Chanel's environment.
It has an amazing location, a lot of land, and an impressive guest list. The exterior of the building that we can see isn't very special. I wonder what a buyer will do with it.
ReplyDeleteI looked at the slide show on the realtor's website. Jilly, I'm glad you said it had been altered since Chanel's time! Not to my taste, though I don't suppose anyone asked me. I don't think Coco would have liked it, either, but that's okay. We'll take our 50 million and tag on a couple more, fix it right up.
ReplyDeleteJust looked at the realtors site Jilly, if I had a spare 50 mill I'd buy it in a shot just for the views and those gorgeous pale blue shutters!!
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the "donkey track" you refer to is the same path that begins in Carnoles near a soccer field. If it is, this path went right past the house on Avenue des Anemones that I lived in many years ago while I was a high school exchange student. I loved climbing up to the village. Many interesting sights along the way. Thanks for the photo.
ReplyDeleteExactly. I used to live in Avenue des Oliviers (in the Hameau) and so walked to the end of the road and up to the village - right near where you used to live.
ReplyDeleteUndoubtedly stunning location and a beautiful property but I couldn't justify $50 million...I could do SO much with that amount of money.
ReplyDeleteSo we are neighbors... albeit separated by a few decades! Every morning, I'd walk to the "Rond Point" and then down to the main road (was the N7 back then) to catch the bus to downtown Menton where the Lycee was located. One of my household chores was taking your donkey path down to Carnoles to buy baguettes at the boulangerie. My host family Mom still lives in RCM, but has sold the house in the Hameau and now lives in an apartment down by the beach. Ma petite amie from the lycee is married to le maire de Roquebrune-Cap Martin. Thanks so much for your photos!
ReplyDeleteWell not quite neighbours in that I left the hameau 13 years ago and now I life just below the village of Gorbio but certainly we've both lived in the same place (almost) at different time.
ReplyDeleteAnd of course we all know the Mayor of RCM, a charming man.