Villa Aurélienne

BUT WHO HAD THE VILLA AURELIENNE BUILT?

By consulting the first register of the Fréjus cadastral matrix (C443), we discover that a certain Mr. Crossman James had a villa built in the "Raton" district. Construction completed in 1889, it is the Château Aurélien. Two inscriptions engraved on the small bridge located below the villa give us additional information:

JHC/AD/1889

“JHC” would be the initials of the project owner (JH Crossman) and “AD” for Anno Domini”;

On the other side of the bridge, there is another inscription "IN CRUCE SPES MEA", a motto meaning, "In this cross I put my hope". In an armorial published in England in 1889, we learn that this motto was that of Sir William Crossman, who had a brother, James Hiscutt Crossman, authorized to use his coat of arms and motto. It was he who made the villa, called "Château Aurélien" at the time of its construction. Heir to a wealthy London brewer, the brewery "Mann, Crossman & Paulin Ltd" was then one of the most important in England.

In 1889 he had the idea of ​​building this castle on the Côte d'Azur. The Château Aurélien is a prestigious construction carried out by the architect Henri Lacreusette, born in Marseille, to whom we also owe the villas Grands Louvans and La Cigale in Saint-Aygulf, as well as the Chapel of Saint-Aygulf and many other villas in Saint-Raphaël, Sainte-Maxime etc.

With its 79 taxable openings indicated in the land register, it was undoubtedly the largest villa in Fréjus-Saint-Raphaël.

James Hiscutt Crossman accumulated loans and soon had to put the castle up for sale. It was bought by Madame Lepel-Cointet in 1892, widow of Marc Lepel-Cointet, a stockbroker in Paris, son of a collector of paintings and works of art whose collection he had enriched.

Madame Lepel-Cointet, who led a social life, received in her château the "all of Paris of the Côte d'Azur", including André Gide in 1897. She also lived well beyond her means and had to sell the villa in 1905. It was taken over by Henri Félix Gourio de Refuge, who took the title of Marquis in 1901, on the death of his father.

On July 8, 1913, Le Figaro published in the legal publications section the announcement of the sale at public auction by judicial authority on real estate seizure of the Château Aurélien. The sale took place on August 7, 1913, it was Charles de Cambefort who bought it. He was a banker in Paris, married to Suzanne de Witt. The castle became "La Villa Aurélienne". Charles died in 1919 and on the death of his wife in 1934, the villa went to their two daughters, Germaine and Henriette, who was the wife of Pierre Schweisguth, a banker. Their daughter married Maurice Couve de Murville in 1932, who would be Minister of Foreign Affairs, Economy and Finance, Prime Minister, MP and Senator. The villa became the property of Henriette alone in 1940.

There are only two Palladian style villas in France, the Villa Aurélienne and the Château de Syam in the Jura. The façade is reminiscent of the Palazzo Chiericati built by Andrea Palladio which is an urban residence of the Renaissance in Veneto. Palladio -1508 – 1580, great architect of the Italian Renaissance is also the author of a treatise, entitled, "The four books of architecture".

In the Villa Aureliana, the Palladian influence is everywhere, even on the front façade, in the pattern of arched and rectangular bays, called Serlian, as well as on the ground floor and the upper floor, which are organized around a peristyle courtyard covered with a glass roof typical of Renaissance architecture. The reception rooms, in particular the living room with alcove, are located on the south side, opening onto the terrace and the garden.

A sumptuous residence, it is adorned with prestigious materials: black marble floors, fruit wood marquetry, marble moldings and fireplaces, large central staircase... The office is relegated to the north and to the basement, like the staff rooms.

In addition to its 1700 m2 of living space, it has a 24-hectare park where the balustrades of the promontories, the bridges and water mirrors, as well as three oriental-inspired buildings, can still be seen.

In 1988, the estate returned to the City of Fréjus, along with its park, which also contains remains of the Roman aqueduct from the 1st century AD, completing the protection of the park as a natural site (in 1964 and 1966).

The villa and its park have been listed in the supplementary inventory of historic monuments since 1989.

Renovated in 1994, the stained glass windows are by the master glassmaker Ducatez of Salerno, the Villa Aurélienne is now a place for official receptions and a dynamic cultural venue where numerous temporary exhibitions and all kinds of cultural events are organized.

The park of the Villa Aurélien, ambassador of the “villages and towns in bloom” label!

Present for over 60 years, the “Villes et Villages Fleuris” label brings together nearly 4 labeled municipalities throughout France, including 700 “278 Fleurs”.

It rewards the commitment of communities to improving the living environment. It takes into account the place given to plants in the development of public spaces, environmental protection, preservation of natural resources and biodiversity, promotion of French botanical heritage, the reconquest of city centers, tourist attractiveness and the involvement of citizens at the heart of projects. The label is a daily support tool for municipalities that wish to improve the well-being of their residents and preserve the identity of their territories, while developing their living environment.