It has become a ritual for the Bruni-Sarkozy couple. As the summer holidays approach (but not only that), the former President of the Republic and his wife, who is celebrating her 56th birthday this Saturday, December 23, are packing their suitcases and leave for Cap Nègrein the singer’s family property located on the Var coast. A sumptuous villa built on a rocky promontory and composed of two towers, as detailed Vanity Fairin 2013. That year, Marisa Bruni Tedeschi decided to invite our colleagues within this residence, which houses many memories. An unprecedented fact when we know that no journalist had been able to enter there until then. If Nicolas Sarkozy and Carla Bruni have gone there every summer since 2008, the building does not date from today.
It was built between 1934 and 1937 by André Faraggi, an aviator close to Marcel Dassault and the father of Jacques Chirac. In 1971, the man ended up selling this residence, also known as “Château Faraghi”, to the Bruni family. Conquered by this very confidential domain, Carla Bruni’s mother refuses to “touch the decoration of the previous owner“precise Vanity Fair. Inside the house, the earthenware and tiles are from the period, just like a majority of the furniture. If they want to keep the house in its original state, the Bruni Tedeschis also build their memories and their history within this property. On the walls, for example, we find portraits of Marisa Bruni Tedeschi at La Scalawhen she was a pianist, at just 30 years old. Consisting of ten bedroomswhich each have their own private terrace offering a view of the sea, this haven of peace is ideal for bring the whole clan together.
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A paradise between land and sea
If this castle composed of two turrets is delightful by its architecturethe domain also has many external assetsto start with its swimming pool “bean shaped“as described Madame Figaro in 2022. Within “the huge park” which borders the estate, we find lemon trees straight from Italy, flax plants and even cypresses. an ode to travel…
“The strength of this house, which was built around 1934, is that it faces the wind, into the sky, the sea and the trees. It’s like a boat that must withstand bad weather“, observes Carla Bruni with Madame Figaro. As we move through the garden and open our eyes, we understand that the Mediterranean is within reach. To access the beach, no need to walk the rocky cliffs, the owners have a staircase leading directly to the sea.
Very close to her grandson Aurélien, born from the union between Carla Bruni and Raphaël Enthoven, Marisa Bruni Tedeschi made him install a chicken cage in the fragrant garden which borders the property. “According to his theories, these beasts are the direct descendants of dinosaurs“, laughs the nonagenarian, in the columns of Vanity Fairin 2013. A house full of lifewhere the whole family seems to find what they’re looking for…
A very secure villa
If this fortress nestled facing the Mediterranean was already difficult to access initially, the Bruni-Tedeschi family rethinks certain installations over the years, so that it is ultra-protected. At the entrance, visitors must first pass through a heavy electric gate, as specified on the Lavandou website. Moreover, “ten gendarmes monitor the premises from June to September, three the rest of the year“, according to information from Vanity Fair. But that’s not all. It is not impossible to see ships of the national navy patrolling around the property… In 2012, at the end of Nicolas Sarkozy’s five-year term, Cap Nègre is even class “temporary prohibited area“. The outbuilding that once accommodated guests has been transformed into a security post.
Although Nicolas Sarkozy is no longer President of the Republic today, Cap Nègre nonetheless remains a real bunker. In 2015, Carla Bruni’s family obtained authorization to erect a 40 meter long dike. The project, important and expensive, does not fail to raise eyebrows in the region, where some suspected the couple of having benefited from a privilege to obtain this authorization. Never mind: the dike will be well built, high enough to protect from the wind, but also and above all from the paparazzi…
The habits of Carla Bruni and Nicolas Sarkozy at Cap Nègre
In their kingdom of Cap Nègre, there is no shortage of activities. In order to eliminate the good Italian meals that Marisa Bruni Tedeschi concocts, Carla Bruni and Nicolas Sarkozy both play a lot of sport. When he is not jogging or cycling, the politician tries aquagym, alongside his wife. At nightfall, the former president appreciates watch a good movie before going to bed. “Nicolas Sarkozy never tires of seeing New York-Miami by Capra, Bellissima by Visconti, Rome, open city by Rossellini, Lolita by Kubrick or even The passion of Joan of Arc by Dreyer, which are among his favorites“, reports journalist Pierrick Geais, in his book The Élysée at the beach: in the privacy of presidents on vacation, published in 2021 by Editions du Rocher. A rejuvenating family cocoon in which the former presidential couple rushes to stay when vacation time comes…
Photo credits: BEST IMAGE