The garden of the property "Le Plantier de Costebelle" is located on the heights of the coastal town of Hyères, in the Var.
The residence was built in 1857 in neo-Palladian style (evoking the Renaissance villas in Veneto) for the baroness Hortense Pauline Husson de Prailly who invites guests of note (writers, ecclesiastics). In 1892, the so-called Villa des Palmiers even welcomed Queen Victoria.
Overlooking the harbor, the peninsula of Giens and the islands of Porquerolles and Port-Cros, the property is bought in 1896 by the novelist Paul Bourget who gives it its current name and welcomes, in turn, prestigious guests (André Gide, Charles Maurras, Marshal Joffre).
Several owners follow each other, who maintain and restore the house as its park. The building is protected as historical monuments since 1976 and the park is labeled Jardin Remarkable in 2009.
Divided with ponds, sculptures and a chapel, vast of 5 hectares, the park is notably planted with exotic species: jubéas of Chile, arbutus of Cyprus. Many of Hermann's turtles are also treated with care.
A green and exotic parenthesis at the heart of a shoreline sometimes so agitated in summer...
Open by appointment only every day from April to September except in August. Price: 5 euros. Guided tour by the owner. Information and reservation at +33 6 76 87 01 56.
