This Moorish Villa is a 19th Century Folly in the South of France
This unique villa known as Aziyade is located not in Morocco, but in Provence, France, set at the foot of the Massif des Maures in the heart of the Var, just 20 minutes from the sea and the Toulon/Hyères airport.
The stark white villa of Moorish design was originally built in 1894 and was conceived by the Swiss architect Paul Page as a small pleasure pavilion in the form of a Qubba (dome), which is typically a tomb or shrine in Islamic architecture.
Featuring a distinctive domed roof design and a labyrinth layout of rooms with soaring ceiling heights, the corridors and terraces transition seamlessly from indoor to outdoor spaces with floors continuously paved with diamond-pattern black-and-white tiles.
The 19th century folly was a run down structure when it was first acquired by the late interior architect and decorator Frédéric Méchiche, and the Algerian-born, Paris-based designer transformed it into a home filled with oriental nostalgia from his childhood.
Set against the backdrop of crisp, white, Méchiche combined Oriental pieces with Napoleon III furniture sourced by antiques shops and markets in North Africa, the Middle East, as well as in London, Paris and the Côte d’Azur, to create interiors that can be described as serenely exotic.
Aziyade offers 1615 ft2 (150 m2) of living space with two salons, a winter garden, and a kitchen on the main level, with a dressing room and ensuite bedroom upstairs.
The French villa opens out onto the grounds and outdoor seating areas through countless Moorish arches, many with finely-sectioned painted metal French doors, and there’s also an incredible rooftop terrace.
Two additional ensuite bedrooms are located in a dependence on the property.
Envisioned as a North African garden by the architect, this unique French villa is immersed in 1.7 acres of mature, lush grounds, and features a striking emerald-green swimming pool bordered by white walls.
Aziyade is the oriental dream of a renowned French architect, and a rare gem in the south of France.
All photos belong to the listing agency.
