Description
A Modern Vessel on the Côte d’Azur
At the entrance to the Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat peninsula, La Ligne Droite was built in 1931 by architect Jean Bouchet for Louis Le Sidaner, a man of letters and son of the painter Henri Le Sidaner. In the tradition of the great holiday residences that dot the Côte d’Azur, it is a superb example of the Streamline Moderne style, popular during the interwar period.
The villa overlooks an exceptional panorama of the Villefranche bay, Beaulieu, and the Italian coast. It was labeled a 20th-century Heritage site in 2000 and classified as a Historic Monument in 2001.
La Ligne Droite is built on a 3,750 m² plot that overlooks the beginning of the isthmus connecting Cap Ferrat to the coast. It is formed from former agricultural terraces now planted with numerous Mediterranean species such as umbrella pines, Provence cypresses, cedars, and many century-old olive trees.
The villa spans 595 m² over 4 levels. The intermediate level features a large living room with a fireplace opening onto a panoramic terrace to the west, a dining room, and a small lounge opening onto a south-facing loggia. This extends to a terrace with a 13×6 meter heated pool, bordered by a minimalist colonnade with octagonal pillars that frame the landscape in several tableaux. A kitchen with a scullery, laundry room, and access to a storage area complete this level.
On the upper level, accessed via a central hall with a zenithal opening, there is a sleeping area with four suites, including a master suite, each with its own bathroom with WC, dressing room or storage, and a north-facing studio office.
On the ground floor, there are three bedrooms, each with its own bathroom or shower room.
The lower level includes a caretaker’s apartment with independent access.
The whole is topped by a roof terrace arranged in several relaxation areas, overlooking a 360° view of the Villefranche bay, the sunny cliffs of Beaulieu, and the Villa Kerylos.
The different levels are served on the north side by a system of stairs running along the façade, as well as by a funicular and a service staircase. The property includes a car shelter and several parking spaces. It has two entrances, one motorized from the street below and one pedestrian entrance at the top of the property.
On the hillside, La Ligne Droite is located at the entrance to the prestigious Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat peninsula, just a few minutes from the beaches, the marina, and numerous shops and restaurants, less than 10 minutes from Villefranche and Beaulieu. Monaco is approximately 14 km away, and Nice International Airport is 18 km away.
Between Nice and Monaco, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is a world-renowned destination with an exclusive lifestyle that combines elegance, culture, and history. The peninsula embodies an ideal way of life in a preserved natural setting with absolute tranquility, lush vegetation, a spectacular preserved rocky coast, and numerous hiking trails.
© Manuel Bougot
Transatlantic Imagery
The architecture of La Ligne Droite is part of the Streamline Moderne or Paquebot movement, a sub-branch of Art Deco particularly popular during the interwar period. If it evokes a luxurious ship overlooking the sea by its simple layout, the narrowness of its west façade resembling a ship’s bow, its impressive exterior staircase running the entire length of its north façade like a succession of gangways and walkways, and the minimalist railings made of steel tubes reminiscent of ship railings, all recall the nautical world. The roof terrace, designed as a solarium, evokes the promenade deck of a liner, and the circular lantern recalls the shape of a semaphore topped by a lookout.
For the interior spaces, the architect focused on light. He designed an impressive conical light well within the structure, diffusing natural light down to the reception area. This area was freed from its corner pillars to maximize the window surface. The structural pillars and beams left exposed form a geometric framework enhanced by vibrant colors.
The interior staircase connecting the different levels also contributes to the brightness of the place thanks to its large windows.
© Manuel Bougot
A holiday residence
In the early 1930s, architect Jean Bouchet was contacted by Louis Le Sidaner, who commissioned a modern villa on the peninsula. The architect designed a project in reinforced concrete, steel, and glass that followed the steep slope of the land, originally occupied by olive groves and oil mills.
The villa was requisitioned by the German army during World War II due to its dominant position but was not damaged.
After the war, it was bought by a Belgian businessman who built the pool and the funicular, which easily transports people and objects to the different levels of the villa. Its third owner, aware of its heritage value, agreed to its classification as a Historic Monument to protect its characteristic architecture of a major architectural movement.
© All rights reserved
Jean Bouchet
Born in 1897 in Paris, Jean Bouchet studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in the studios of Gaston Redon and then Joseph-Albert Tournaire. He began his career in Île-de-France. A member of the society of DPLG architects and awarded a medal of honor at the Salon des Artistes Français in 1922, Jean Bouchet was very active from 1930 to 1960.
He settled in Grasse – where he renovated the Parc Palace, which became the Hôtel Provençal – and worked throughout the region. He notably designed the regional center for physical education and sports in Saint Raphaël. At the end of his career, he was appointed departmental architect of the Alpes-Maritimes.
Infos techniques
Price : €15,500,000
Fees to be paid by the seller
Full ownership
Land tax : €6,773
Photos : © Manuel Bougot
DPE : EMPTY (HISTORICAL MONUMENT)
