“Many villas in the area can claim a visit by Picasso, but he mentions La Vigie himself in his diaries from that time,” explains Jack Harris of Knight Frank in London, which is handling the listing with Douglas Elliman. “Rumor has it he even painted directly onto the walls of the property as a way to thank his hosts.” What is known for certain, is that in the summer of 1924, Picasso used the villa’s garage as a studio, where he painted myriad canvasses—and perhaps even the garage’s wall itself.
For one thing, the property is set directly on the water—and not separated from it by a road like many other “waterfront” villas in the area, Harris explains. The architecture is a Mediterranean take on Neo-Gothic, rendered here in dazzling pinks and peaches and cream colors that reflect the area’s iconic sunlight. The home is anchored on its lower level by a massive infinity-edge pool that is elegantly split in half by a bijoux bridge with one side literally lagoon-like.
According to Harris, the property “was renovated extensively by the previous owners. . .who have used the villa a family escape for the past 20 to 25 years. Whilst the current owners love the home, they do not use it now as much as they wish to,” he explains. Considering its impressive prominence, Harris says La Vigie’s new owner could very well be a French family who understands “that this is a trophy asset—the best of its kind in the region.
While current geopolitical conditions have limited, somewhat, the buyer pool of ultra-high-net-worth individuals, Harris is confident La Vigie’s history and location will help it resist any market slowdowns. “Buyer sentiment remans healthy,” he says—particularly when it comes to US buyers. According to a recent Knight Frank report, searches by US buyers for second homes in France rose by 37 percent in the year to May 2022.