One of the most expensive private residences in the world is in France. A true madness of grandeur, it is distinguished by its countless rooms, its bathrooms in abundance and a larger garden than a park … The price? To turn your eye!
Times are not difficult for everyone in our country … Nestled in the south of France, the C runs the heads and panics the meters. Inaccessible for 99.9 % of the population, it remains a waking dream reserved for a handful of billionaires. Sumptuous remains with crazy charm, she even appeared in the cinema in Hand at the collar from Alfred Hitchcock in 1955. An extraordinary real estate myth at all levels …
This villa has breathtaking dimensions. Its park extends over eight hectares perfectly maintained. There are more than 1,200 trees: olive trees, cypresses, lemon trees, orange trees … A lush decor which would require constant maintenance of around fifty gardeners. The villa itself has a dozen rooms and fourteen bathrooms. Several annexed dependencies are also scattered on the property. Perched on the heights of Villefranche-sur-Mer (PACA), it offers a panoramic view of the Mediterranean Sea. An idyllic setting, worthy of a dream … or an ultra -rich whim.
The Leopolda villa was born in 1902, under the leadership of the King Léopold II of Belgium. He built an elegant house in Belle Époque style, wearing a central turret. Very quickly, she draws attention. During the First World War, its impressive size earned it to be transformed into a hospital. In the 1950s, she entered the heritage of Giovanni Agnelli, the powerful Italian industrialist at the head of the Fiat group. She then passes into the hands of the rich Lebanese banker Edmond Safra. In 2008, a sales agreement for 390 million euros was about to be concluded, but the transaction was canceled. The price of the villa would then have stopped climbing. Its value would reach 660 million euros today according to the magazine Forbes. A vertiginous price which, without question, undoubtedly, the most expensive home of all France.
In a century of existence, the Villa Leopolda has seen discreet kings, billionaires and fortunes. But its price has never been stable. It climbs, year after year, to the rhythm of rumors and desires. One thing is certain: only the most expenditure can claim to set foot in it. Since the death of Lily Safra in 2022, and the last known owner, the mystery hangs over whom it occupies it. No official acquisition, no leaks. Impossible to know who is the current owner. The secret seems to be part of the prestige.
