Just twenty minutes from Nice city centre, and a world away from city life, you’ll find peace and tranquility in an ancient citadel. As you leave the main road and wind up to the lofty heights of the perched medieval village of Peillon, you suddenly feel a hundred miles from the hustle and bustle of Nice – even though you’ll have left the city centre behind less than 20 minutes ago. Built in the 12th and 13th centuries, away from the coast to protect the inhabitants from marauding pirate raids, the village is almost completely unspoiled – there’s even a chapel with its original 15th century frescoes.
Arriving at the top of the hill, you’re at the very foot of the ancient village, where the residents and visitors park their cars in the pretty square, surrounded by plane trees, and from where you’ll see your first view across the valley.
The Place Auguste-Arnulf has three main features that create a wonderful ambience; the old stone fountain, the poignant war memorial, and at the top of the steps, an ancient arched stone doorway at the base of the towns main structure, as if by there you’ll enter the whole edifice from below – you could be forgiven for thinking you’d walked in to a Lord of the Rings set. This doorway is the entrance to our stunning townhouse.
As you enter, you find yourself in a castle-like entrance hall, the thick walls hewn out of rough stone nearly a millennia old. The flagstone floor and arched ceiling adds to the ambience, and its no surprise to learn that this room was once used as an art gallery – the house having been owned by a sculptor. At the end of the medieval hall is a wood burning stove, and stone stairs that lead up to an outside door, then up to a landing.
From the landing there is a glass, double-glazed door leading to the kitchen ‘American’ style, with fitted units and plenty of work surfaces, good equipment and ample space. Spread across two parts, the kitchen gives a warm, centered feel to the house. At one end, a large window overlooks the cobbled street below, and the entrance to the main square, at the other is a corridor leading to bedroom 2. The kitchen has under floor heating.
From the kitchen, steps lead down to the grand main living area – a32m2 room with a large fireplace, chimney breast and a minstrel’s gallery. There are two big windows that have a gorgeous view across the top of the valley to the chapel opposite, the wooded slopes and the cobbled path that runs down the side of the village. This lovely room has flagstone floors with underfloor heating, restored original stone walls and an original beamed ceiling – but despite being such an ancient building, this living space has a clean and comfortable feel, having been thoughtfully restored less than a decade ago. The thickness of the walls means that in the summer the house stays cool, but in the winter the underfloor heating and hearty wood burning stoves give a wonderfully snug ambience to the house.
Up a little flight of wooden stairs is a gallery, the perfect size for a writing desk and library shelves, or even a little guest’s bed!
Next to the chimney, steps lead to the master bedroom suite. This generous sized double room has a lovely picture window with views over the valley and edge of the village, and deep pile carpet. There is a large en-suite bathroom with both bath tub and walk-in shower. The whole suite has been tastefully renovated, but in keeping with the spirit of the house – exposed beams, rustic floor tiles and beautiful stripped doors and cupboards.
Bedroom 2 is accessed by a corridor leading from the utility area of the kitchen, and has a large window, giving the room a light and airy feel. Steps lead down to a large bathroom/wet room, with open shower, WC and sink, which is lit by a skylight. This lovely guest or family suite is tastefully styled with exposed stone walls, rustic tyles and exposed wood. There are large fitted wardrobes and a pretty set of in-built library shelves, all of which gives you the feeling of sleeping in a sort of luxury medieval castle.
Bedroom 3 is accessed from the entrance hall landing, up a set of wooden stairs. This loft style room has an independent feel, being at the top of the house, like an artist’s garret, with plenty of space for a double bed and writer’s table. There’s even an independent WC – literally closet – and even an old-style deep bath tub in it’s own alcove. This charming room has a pleasant window looking out over the ancient rooftops of the village.
The house has its own beautiful private courtyard – you’ll remember the door at the top of the entrance hall steps – big enough for entertaining friends and relaxing in style, the ancient stone archways and thick, sturdy walls making it feel like a castle keep. There’s a built-in barbeque, with a stone chimney, for full-on al-fresco cooking. An old arched doorway with a thick wooden door leads from the courtyard to the cave. Down the steps, you’ll find a wonderful, spacious, stone cellar/storage room which has probable been used to cold store provisions for over 800 years.
Now, there’s one more surprise in store, a charming addition to this wonderful house. The property comes with its own olive grove, situated just outside the walls of the village, down an ancient goat track that leads across the hills towards La Turbie and Peille. Past the last dwellings, down the path and across a little stone bridge, there lies an ancient olive grove, at the foot of a hill, measuring around 1000m2. That sounds like it may even be enough to make your own olive oil! (we’re not experts…)
In all, this town house measures around 140m2, comprising 3 good-sized bedrooms and a large living space, with a proper sized kitchen, plenty of storage space and enough outside space to make a difference. There’s plenty of heating for the winter, stoves and under-floor, and its cool and airy in the summer. You’ll see straight away why this property is so special – it really is a one-off chance to live in one of the prettiest villages in the region, close to Nice airport, Italy, and Nice city centre. There are shops, supermarkets and all amenities nearby in the local villages around Peillon, and there’s even a little train line that takes you straight to Nice, that runs along the bottom of the hill.
There’s loads of little hiking trails across the hills and down in the valley – you can walk to the old village of Peille or the town of La Turbie over the stone cliffs, through pine forests and olive groves, and there are circuit walks around the bottom of the valley below the perched village.
Every year there is a jazz festival in the village, around mid-summer, and the village boasts two restaurants – the Auberge de la Madone, with its beautiful terrace with views across the valley, and a little sister restaurant in the old village for lunches.
Come and be charmed by this wonderful ancient village, and a very special place to call home.
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