Words: Gentleman's Journal
The South of France is all the rage just now. The Cannes Film Festival is in full, star-spangled flow; La Colombe d’Or is the place to be; and Alain Delon’s Riviera-chic wardrobe is the seasonal staple every gentleman should be aspiring to at this very moment.
And if you’ve got a spare (approximate) $55.5 million, there’s a certain Provençal property that may just make that South of France lifestyle not merely a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but a breathtakingly luxurious way of life.
If we told you the estate originally took the form of a village, located in Le Plan De La Tour (just a few short miles from Saint-Tropez), would that ring any bells? How about if we drop Johnny Depp’s name into it? Presumably, the mist is now clearing: the A-list actor’s village estate first went on the market back in 2016, and was never sold. Now, it’s back on: all charming, rural, bountifully luxurious 37 acres of it.
Of course, it wouldn’t be Depp’s property if it didn’t stray from the bounds of ‘normal’. What is ‘normal’, you ask? Well, presumably a typical estate — even a 37 acre estate — wouldn’t feature a skate park (that’s right, a skate park) and a heavily decorated wine cave space irresistibly reminiscent of — and apparently inspired by — a lair from Pirates of the Caribbean.
If the skate park didn’t grab your interest, allow us to share some privileged insights into the renovation process. For a start, Depp’s creativity is by no means limited to the big screen. We frankly don’t want to know how much he spent on buying and renovating the 19th-century village into his own private estate (although the — unsurprising — word on the street is that millions’ worth of dollars were involved), but the end result clocks in at 15 bedrooms (including six guest homes, one of which is in what used to be the village church) and 14 bathrooms.
If al fresco dining is your preferred summer culinary state, then you’ll want to avail yourself of the renovated town square: the village estate’s foremost outdoor dining space. There’s indoor dining, too; the estate features its own bistro (well, actually it’s a private dining space decorated exactly like an actual bistro — perfect for those who want a hospitality experience without having to fling on a face mask every time they wish to use the bathroom), which Depp named Chez Marceline. And we’ve yet to mention the two swimming pools (would it be a village estate if there was only one pool?), the gym, the art studio and the covered wagon with full bath and kitchen (we can’t make head or tail of that last one, either; but that’s Depp for you).
With structures mostly designed by Depp himself, the estate is an unparalleled insight into the mind of one of the most famous actors of his generation. It’s quirky, it’s unprecedented, and it keeps you guessing — just like the actor in question. It’s also rife with luxury at every turn: and if a quintessential, 19th-century paradise could be encapsulated into 37 acres, we have a feeling this would be it.
Staying put in London this summer? Why not make Canary Wharf your sun soaked city haven…
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