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An opulent 14-bedroom villa which once belonged to King Leopold II of
Belgium has gone on sale for a whopping $410 million.
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The Villa Les Cedres in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, France, will lay claim to
the enviable title of 'world's most expensive house' if sold for its
multi-million dollar price tag.
Revealing photos from inside the 187-year-old mansion show the house in
all its regal glory - having been first built for the King of Belgium
using his profits from land-grabs in the Congo.
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It was then bought by the Marnier-Lapostolle family in 1924, 15 years
after Leopold’s death, industrialists best known for producing Grand
Marnier liqueur, a blend of cognac and triple sec.
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The remarkable property recently passed into the hands of Italian
brewing giants Campari - who put it straight on the market in October
2017.
Les Cèdres was built in 1830 and bought in 1850 by the mayor of
Villefranche-sur-Mer, when it operated as an olive tree farm.
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The fourteen-bedroom property comes with an Olympic size swimming pool,
is in a glamorous coastal enclave close to Nice.
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It has one of the most beautiful gardens in Europe, which includes 35
acres of manicured lawns, 15000 plants, and some 20 greenhouses
containing rare tropical vegetation.
The palatial home features a ballroom and also stables for up to 30
horses.
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Close neighbours include British composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and US
tech tycoon Paul Allen.
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But despite the villa's obvious draws it seems the property has been
struggling to sell as it is no longer available to view online,
indicating that it may have been taken off the market.
Campari chief executive Bob Kunze-Concewitz told Bloomberg in October he
had received approaches from Middle Eastern and North American buyers.
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He also revealed that proceeds from the sale will be distributed among
the shareholders.
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