A characterful dwelling with a sweeping sea view and a walled garden dotted with citrus trees, nestled in the old town centre of Hyères in the south o
A characterful dwelling with a sweeping sea view and a walled garden dotted with citrus trees, nestled in the old town centre of Hyères in the south of France.
The town of Hyères lies in the south of France's Var department, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. The climate here is mild. Hyères is officially recognised for its built heritage, tokens of which include the Tour des Templiers and Villa Noailles. Also known as Hyères-les-Palmiers for its many palm trees, the town offers outstanding beaches, such as the Plage de l'Almanarre and unspoilt coves, like those along the Giens peninsula nearby. You can reach the town centre from the property by foot. There you can find old shops, stalls selling spices, art and craftwork, and all the stores and amenities you need for everyday life. In only 15 minutes by car, you can reach an airport, a seaport, from where you can sail to the Îles d'Or islands, and a high-speed train station, from where you can get to Paris in four hours by rail.
It was under the reign of Charles I of Anjou, in the 13th century, that a fortified town with five gates was built around the chateau here. One of these gates, Porte Saint-Paul, still has the grooves of its former portcullis. The edifice has three floors and is built upon Porte Saint-Paul gate. It has been redesigned several times since it was first built and it was extended in the 19th century. Its elevations are coated with rendering and its window and door surrounds are made of exposed ashlar, as are its quoins. The windows are arranged in four bays along the sea-facing elevation. They are of different sizes. Most of them are arched and the others are rectangular. A double-row génoise cornice underlines a roof of barrel tiles, which crowns the main section. A turret marks a corner of the edifice. It is supported by the gate's thickest pillar and is capped with a zinc cone roof that is crowned with a finial. Inside the building there are five apartments, including the three that are for sale and which lie on the ground floor and first floor. The current owners have brought the three apartments together into a single dwelling with a 160m² floor area. The dwelling surrounds a terrace and a walled garden dotted with old citrus trees. The garden faces south and enjoys absolute privacy. It offers panoramic views of the Îles d'Or islands and the surrounding hills, upon which Villa Noailles stands. The three apartments could be turned into three self-contained units, each with their own private entrance. From a small road behind Saint-Paul collegiate church, three steps take you to an old door, which leads to the building's entrance hall and to a wooden spiral staircase. These stairs take you to the upper floors.
The first apartmentOn the left-hand side of the hallway, an old wooden door leads into a high-ceilinged lounge filled with natural light from two large windows with indoor shutters. These two windows look out at the back of Saint-Paul collegiate church. Bookshelves line the walls, which are painted white. The floor is covered with terracotta tiles. A glazed door leads to a storeroom and another door, made of old wood, leads to a conservatory, which connects to a dining toom and to a fitted kitchen with many cupboards and a pantry. The rooms look out at the garden through large windows. In front of the kitchen, a timber terrace can be used to eat meals in the shade of fig tree. The conservatory connects to a vaulted cellar, at a lower level, and leads to a staircase with terracotta tiles and wooden nosing. These stairs take you to an intermediate level. On this intermediate level there is a bedroom with a walk-in wardrobe and a shower room. The bedroom offers views of the garden and the sea on the horizon. The stairs lead up to the first floor, where a door takes you to the second apartment.
