In the old town of La Ciotat, a 17th-century two-floor apartment
with historic painted frescoes, a pergola-covered inner courtyard and a garden
with historic painted frescoes, a pergola-covered inner courtyard and a garden
La Ciotat,
BOUCHES-DU-RHONE
provence-cote-dazur
13600
FR
Location
In the Bouches-du-Rhône, between Marseille and Toulon, La Ciotat sits at the head of one of the most celebrated bays in the world and within the perimeter of the Parc national des Calanques, which includes the Parc du Mugel, noted for its botanical diversity. The apartment stands in the old town, where a network of narrow lanes encloses a varied architectural heritage: churches, chapels, historic gateways and hôtels particuliers, several of them listed. An active Mediterranean city, La Ciotat combines cultural and economic life, sustained in part by a shipyard specialising in yacht refit. The railway station and road connections are within approximately 10 minutes; Marseille international airport is under 1 hour away.
Description
Two entrances lead into the commonhold building from a lane in the historic centre. The first opens onto the garden-level floor; the second gives onto an inner courtyard, with a garden beyond, around which the 17th-century building forms a U. At garden level, the entrance hall of approximately 17 m² serves an fitted kitchen with a Cassis stone sink, a study, a cloakroom and a shower room with lavatory; a hallway leads further to a storeroom. A dining room and a self-contained bedroom of approximately 10 m² open directly onto the courtyard, as do the other rooms on this level.
A door at the foot of the staircase marks the separation between levels. Above, a glazed lobby opens into an entrance hall, where a fitted cupboard conceals what was formerly an alcove connecting to the sitting room beyond. This level holds three bedrooms, two of generous proportions, each with a marble-mantled fireplace. One faces the courtyard and adjoins a bathroom whose wrought-iron balcony overlooks the garden; the walls here carry historic painted frescoes, and a freestanding bath rests on hexagonal terracotta tiles. A shower room with lavatory serves the remaining two bedrooms, each with a fitted wardrobe off a short hallway. Floors alternate between terracotta tiles and polished concrete; the entrance hall is distinguished by elegant black-and-white octagonal stone paving.
A door at the foot of the staircase marks the separation between levels. Above, a glazed lobby opens into an entrance hall, where a fitted cupboard conceals what was formerly an alcove connecting to the sitting room beyond. This level holds three bedrooms, two of generous proportions, each with a marble-mantled fireplace. One faces the courtyard and adjoins a bathroom whose wrought-iron balcony overlooks the garden; the walls here carry historic painted frescoes, and a freestanding bath rests on hexagonal terracotta tiles. A shower room with lavatory serves the remaining two bedrooms, each with a fitted wardrobe off a short hallway. Floors alternate between terracotta tiles and polished concrete; the entrance hall is distinguished by elegant black-and-white octagonal stone paving.
The exterior
Shaded by a pergola wound with a vine, the inner courtyard contains a well, a functional wash-house and a storage area. The garden is planted with a variety of species including a plane-leaved mulberry, polygala, papyrus, citrus trees, bamboo and vine, alongside an old rose, wisteria and jasmine. A timber shelter provides convenient storage for garden equipment.
Our opinion
A property long inhabited and appreciated, where patinated frescoes, painted woodwork and layered floors create a setting that is warm and alive. The interiors make no bid for effect; they tell a story shaped by original architectural elements and discreet contemporary interventions. The layout offers genuine flexibility: the garden-level floor separates easily from the ground floor, yielding two distinct and independent units. The apartment lends itself equally to a principal residence of character and to a pied-à-terre, with no work required. What matters most, however, lies elsewhere — in the unbroken relationship with the outside. Courtyard and garden extend every room, establishing a way of life that is unhurried and shaded, measured by light and season.
1 360 000 €
Fees at the Vendor’s expense
Reference 976835
| Land registry surface area | 340 m² |
| Total floor area | 194 m² |
| Number of rooms | 9 |
| Ceiling height | 3.60 |
| Number of bedrooms | 4 |
| Possible number of bedrooms | 5 |
| Inner courtyard | |
| Garden | |
| Store room |
| Number of lots | 5 |
| Annual average amount of the proportionate share of expenses | 630 € |
Aucune procédure en cours menée sur le fondement des articles 29-1 A et 29-1 de la loi n°65-557 du 10 juillet 1965 et de l’article L.615-6 du CCH
French Energy Performance Diagnosis
Information on the risks to which this property is exposed is available on the website: www.georisques.gouv.fr
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NB: The above information is not only the result of our visit to the property; it is also based on information provided by the current owner. It is by no means comprehensive or strictly accurate especially where surface areas and construction dates are concerned. We cannot, therefore, be held liable for any misrepresentation.
