De James Bond Villa van Sean Connery staat (nog) te koop

It is perhaps the most perfect place in the world to enjoy a martini — ‘shaken, not stirred’, of course.

The longtime French Riveria home of actor Sean Connery is on the market. The six-story Belle Epoque villa dates from 1928 and is set in exquisite surroundings with views of the city of Nice and the Mediterranean Sea. Connery purchased the house, known as La Roc Fleuri, after his 1970 marriage to painter Micheline Roquebrune. The newlywed couple lived there for “a dozen or so years,” and it is still referred to as “Sean Connery’s house” by neighbors.

A native of Scotland, Connery was the first actor to portray James Bond, starring in the first five Bond films in the ‘60s including “Dr. No,” “Goldfinger” and “You Only Live Twice.” Over the years, he also appeared in “Marnie,” “The Hunt for Red October” and “The Untouchables,” for which he won an Oscar.

The €30 million price tag (the price was reduced to €15 million in February 2021, after almost a year on the market, then inexplicably raised back to €30 million in late 2022) is, frankly, ridiculous even by the ultra-exclusive location’s standards, which is why it didn’t sell in even the hottest during-Covid market.

However, the property comes with undeniable bragging rights, having actually played a role in the actor’s final turn as James Bond, 1983’s Never Say Never Again. The 1983 film shot all around Nice and neighboring Villefranche and Monaco — even at the villa itself.

Overlooking the old harbor of Nice, it faces west with sweeping views of the Bay of Angels . The villa sits just at the edge of Nice in a dominant coastal position halfway between Cannes En Monaco. It’s among the last great seaside villas built by English visitors along the Cote d’Azur between the first and second World Wars.

The main house spans six stories and holds eight bedrooms, eight bathrooms and a number of terraces to take in the scenic setting. The villa has an impressive Louis XVI-inspired facade with contemporary additions, maximizing its property line’s steep drops to the sea below.

The original 10,764-square-foot villa contains five bedrooms, an indoor swimming pool, a gym and spa, gourmet kitchen facilities, and a rooftop terrace. A reception area lined with mosaic tile leads to a grand entry hall, and other highlights include a formal dining room and living room with floor-to-ceiling windows. The master bedroom (which comes with two baths) comprises the mansion’s entire top floor and is accessible by a private period-appropriate cage elevator, “decorated with wrought iron flowers and filigree,” the listing states.

For amenities, there’s a wine cellar, a gym, an office and a hammam. An elevator and stone staircase navigate the six-story floor plan, and up top, a spiral staircase ascends to a scenic rooftop deck ideal for entertaining. Stone walkways meander through lawns and gardens down below.

Roc Fleuri’s present owners increased its size since Connery’s time there, purchasing two adjacent properties and combining the enlarged grounds to just under 1.25 acres, while creating two guesthouses (from the existing period villas) and installing a circular outdoor pool and a series of terraced gardens that descend toward the Mediterranean Sea.

Interestingly, despite an unprecedented, enormous amount of publicity, the villa price was slashed in half, and after sitting on the market for two years at the reduced price, the new agency decided to double the price back to €30 million. It’s very unlikely that it will sell, given how stubbornly overpriced it is. Villa prices in the French Riviera real estate market are predicted to lower in comping months and years, so it will be interesting to see what this finally sells for!

Meer willen? Hier is een lijst met beroemde villa's, de beroemdheden die ze bezaten, en de gekke dingen die daar gebeurden.