Villa Leopolda
Encyclopedia
Villa La Leopolda is a large villa
in the French
town of Villefranche-sur-Mer
on the French Riviera
.
, Leopold had made it a present for his mistress Blanche Zélia Joséphine Delacroix, also known as Caroline Lacroix, and derives its name from him. After Leopold's death, Blanche Delacroix was evicted, and his nephew, King Albert I, became its owner. During WW I it was used as a military hospital
.
In 1919, Thérèse Vitali, comtesse de Beauchamp, acquired the property and commissioned modifications. The American architect Ogden Codman, Jr.purchased the dozen existing structures that made up the property including two peasant cottages, and began his architectural magnum opus in 1929. It was complete by 1931, however financial difficulties (and his lavish expenditures) precluded his being able to live in it, so he rented it out to various well-heeled tenants. One famous English couple tried to lease it but insisted on making changes that were contrary to Codman's aesthetic objectives and strict list of protective clauses. Negotiations in a Paris hotel room broke down over the many restrictions Codman imposed and Ogden's response was: "I regret that the house of Codman is unable to do business with the house of Windsor." Codmans extensive designs and construction gave the estate, once a series of unrelated buildings, its current appearance. His neo-Palladian vision, coupled with his in depth knowledge of historical precedent, resulted in the construction of a spectacular villa with extensive gardens and landscaping. Floor plans, letters, records, and stereo glass-plate views of the newly completed property still exist in the collections of the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities (aka "Historic New England") At Codman's death in 1951 the estate was sold it to Izaak Walton Killam
whose wife inherited the place after his death. In the later 1950s she sold it to Fiat president Gianni Agnelli
(1921 - 2003) and Marella Agnelli
. Their renovations to the property obliterated such features as the varied-hued scagliola walls in the "Italian Salon" under buckets of white paint.
By 1988 La Leopolda had become one of the domiciles of the banker Edmond Safra
, and after his death in 1999 his wife Lily Safra
inherited the property. The Safras commissioned Renzo Mongiardino as interior designer, while the second-floor bedrooms were decorated by Mica Ertegun
.
Most recently, La Leopolda has been purchased by Bill Gates of Microsoft fame. It is hoped by Codman's legions of admirers, that a sensitive restoration of the property will preserve what is perhaps one of the most unique and beautiful homes in the world.
having purchased the home at a price of approximately €
500 million ($736m / £397m). However, the price reported at the occasion of a lawsuit in February 2010 was € 370 million, which still would have made it probably the world's most expensive villa.
However, Prokhorov's spokesman denied that he was the purchaser, and said he refuses to do business in France until he receives an apology for being investigated in a prostitution probe.
In February 2010, a Nice
court decided that Prokhorov could not demand back the €39 million down payment made to Lily Safra in 2008 and had to pay an additional €1.5 million of interest. Lily Safra announced that she would donate the entire sum to a number of institutions focusing on medical research, patient care, education, and other important humanitarian causes around the world.
. It is registered as a French monument historique
.
Alfred Hitchcock
used La Leopolda as a set in his 1955 movie To Catch a Thief
.
Villa
A villa was originally an ancient Roman upper-class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became small farming compounds, which were increasingly fortified in Late Antiquity,...
in the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
town of Villefranche-sur-Mer
Villefranche-sur-Mer
Villefranche-sur-Mer is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region on the French Riviera.-Geography:...
on the French Riviera
French Riviera
The Côte d'Azur, pronounced , often known in English as the French Riviera , is the Mediterranean coastline of the southeast corner of France, also including the sovereign state of Monaco...
.
History
Villa La Leopolda in it's current incarnation was designed and built from 1929 through 1931 by an American architect, Boston's Ogden Codman Jr. on an estate once owned by King Leopold II of BelgiumLeopold II of Belgium
Leopold II was the second king of the Belgians. Born in Brussels the second son of Leopold I and Louise-Marie of Orléans, he succeeded his father to the throne on 17 December 1865 and remained king until his death.Leopold is chiefly remembered as the founder and sole owner of the Congo Free...
, Leopold had made it a present for his mistress Blanche Zélia Joséphine Delacroix, also known as Caroline Lacroix, and derives its name from him. After Leopold's death, Blanche Delacroix was evicted, and his nephew, King Albert I, became its owner. During WW I it was used as a military hospital
Military hospital
Military hospital is a hospital, which is generally located on a military base and is reserved for the use of military personnel, their dependents or other authorized users....
.
In 1919, Thérèse Vitali, comtesse de Beauchamp, acquired the property and commissioned modifications. The American architect Ogden Codman, Jr.purchased the dozen existing structures that made up the property including two peasant cottages, and began his architectural magnum opus in 1929. It was complete by 1931, however financial difficulties (and his lavish expenditures) precluded his being able to live in it, so he rented it out to various well-heeled tenants. One famous English couple tried to lease it but insisted on making changes that were contrary to Codman's aesthetic objectives and strict list of protective clauses. Negotiations in a Paris hotel room broke down over the many restrictions Codman imposed and Ogden's response was: "I regret that the house of Codman is unable to do business with the house of Windsor." Codmans extensive designs and construction gave the estate, once a series of unrelated buildings, its current appearance. His neo-Palladian vision, coupled with his in depth knowledge of historical precedent, resulted in the construction of a spectacular villa with extensive gardens and landscaping. Floor plans, letters, records, and stereo glass-plate views of the newly completed property still exist in the collections of the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities (aka "Historic New England") At Codman's death in 1951 the estate was sold it to Izaak Walton Killam
Izaak Walton Killam
Izaak Walton Killam was one of Canada's most eminent financiers.-Early life:Born in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Killam rose from paper boy in Yarmouth to become one of Canada's wealthiest individuals.-Business ventures:...
whose wife inherited the place after his death. In the later 1950s she sold it to Fiat president Gianni Agnelli
Gianni Agnelli
Giovanni Agnelli , better known as Gianni Agnelli , was an Italian industrialist and principal shareholder of Fiat. As the head of Fiat, he controlled 4.4% of Italy's GDP, 3.1% of its industrial workforce, and 16.5% of its industrial investment in research...
(1921 - 2003) and Marella Agnelli
Marella Agnelli
Marella Agnelli, born Princess Marella Caracciolo di Castagneto is an Italian socialite, style icon and wife of Fiat chairman Gianni Agnelli...
. Their renovations to the property obliterated such features as the varied-hued scagliola walls in the "Italian Salon" under buckets of white paint.
By 1988 La Leopolda had become one of the domiciles of the banker Edmond Safra
Edmond Safra
Edmond J. Safra was a Jewish Brazilian-naturalized, Lebanese banker who continued the family tradition of banking in Lebanon, Brazil and Switzerland. He married Lily Watkins. He died in a fire that attracted wide media interest and was judicially determined to be due to arson.-Life of Edmond...
, and after his death in 1999 his wife Lily Safra
Lily Safra
Lily Safra is a Brazilian-Monegasque philanthropist and social figure who attained considerable wealth after four marriages. Her net worth is estimated at $1 billion, ranking her as the 701st richest person in the world according to Forbes in 2009...
inherited the property. The Safras commissioned Renzo Mongiardino as interior designer, while the second-floor bedrooms were decorated by Mica Ertegun
Ahmet Ertegun
Ahmet Ertegün was a Turkish American musician and businessman, best known as the founder and president of Atlantic Records. He also wrote classic blues and pop songs and served as Chairman of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and museum...
.
Most recently, La Leopolda has been purchased by Bill Gates of Microsoft fame. It is hoped by Codman's legions of admirers, that a sensitive restoration of the property will preserve what is perhaps one of the most unique and beautiful homes in the world.
Mikhail Prokhorov
The villa appeared in the news in the summer of 2008 with reports of the Russian billionaire Mikhail ProkhorovMikhail Prokhorov
Mikhail Dmitrievitch Prokhorov is a Russian billionaire entrepreneur and owner of the American basketball team, the New Jersey Nets. After graduating from the Moscow Finance Institute he made his name in the financial sector and went on to become one of Russia's leading industrialists in the...
having purchased the home at a price of approximately €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
500 million ($736m / £397m). However, the price reported at the occasion of a lawsuit in February 2010 was € 370 million, which still would have made it probably the world's most expensive villa.
However, Prokhorov's spokesman denied that he was the purchaser, and said he refuses to do business in France until he receives an apology for being investigated in a prostitution probe.
In February 2010, a Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
court decided that Prokhorov could not demand back the €39 million down payment made to Lily Safra in 2008 and had to pay an additional €1.5 million of interest. Lily Safra announced that she would donate the entire sum to a number of institutions focusing on medical research, patient care, education, and other important humanitarian causes around the world.
Historical monument
La Leopolda invokes the style of the Belle ÉpoqueBelle Époque
The Belle Époque or La Belle Époque was a period in European social history that began during the late 19th century and lasted until World War I. Occurring during the era of the French Third Republic and the German Empire, it was a period characterised by optimism and new technological and medical...
. It is registered as a French monument historique
Monument historique
A monument historique is a National Heritage Site of France. It also refers to a state procedure in France by which national heritage protection is extended to a building or a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings, or gardens, bridges, and other structures, because of their...
.
In popular culture
The villa was used as the location of Lermontov's villa in 1948 film The Red Shoes. The heroine climbs the steps to the villa thinking that she's been invited to dinner. Instead she would be given the starring role in the new ballet.Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
used La Leopolda as a set in his 1955 movie To Catch a Thief
To Catch a Thief
To Catch a Thief is a 1952 thriller novel by David Dodge. John Robie is a retired American jewel thief, formerly known as Le Chat , who now spends his time tending to the rose garden in his villa on the Côte d'Azur. Following a series of recent jewel robberies on the Riviera that resemble his...
.