Urban Exploration - Villa Flore
We received photos from a traveler and compiled them into a historical summary.
Villa Flore is a curious place. It is an abandoned structure nestled deep within the pine forests. It belonged to a man who was a lawyer, deputy, senator, mayor, and general counselor. We are in the upper echelons of politics. Was this his primary residence? We are inclined to believe not. He reportedly left this place in 2004 following multiple political defeats (after a brilliant career), and he passed away and was buried elsewhere.
From the outside, the villa presents a purely hostile appearance. It resembles a blockhouse, with raw concrete walls that are utterly repulsive. Is this due to its similarity to Brutalist architecture? Or perhaps it's the rounded edges, reminiscent of bunkers washed up on the beaches of Normandy?
This unwelcoming feeling is reinforced by the fact that the villa is drowned under a thick canopy of pines. These trees, which are relatively fragile, have collapsed onto the villa, leaving behind a landscape that, year after year, drifts toward total chaos. Conversely, the interior of the villa is quite inviting: a beautiful living room, a lovely kitchen. Unfortunately, I had immense difficulty opening the shutters; some remained stubbornly closed.
Jacques passed away in 2014. Within the house, a few official photos remain, along with a limited number of recognizable images of the villa. Numerous letters attest that his wife, Flore, managed the villa for a while longer before everything plunged into total abandonment.
In 1994, Flore's parents were welcomed into the villa, likely to be cared for in their old age. They were Georges, a physiotherapist, and Suzanne.
During my visit, three young people had come there to vandalize the place. Hindered by my presence, their grim project was halted—or at least briefly postponed. Despite the renovation work becoming increasingly substantial, this villa could almost offer a heavenly setting. Abandonment is a profound sadness, and this building is undoubtedly doomed.
Visiting the home of a political figure plunges one into a curious sense of repulsion. We are immersed in a strange mixture: a hideous exterior, a beautiful interior, historical revulsion, yet the inherent respect due to families. The kitchen is particularly aesthetic. In the end, it is difficult to draw a final conclusion about such a place; quite simply, what is certain is that it remains memorable.
La villa est profondément enfouie dans les pinèdes.
La terrasse offre aujourd'hui l'un des rares espaces dégagés.
Le salon, inchangé, mais victime de vandalisme.
La cage d'escalier et son lustre très particulier.
La cuisine, d'un aspect très chaleureux.
En bas de l'escalier, ce sont les chambres.
Aucune possibilité d'ouvrir les volets, qui étaient électriques.
Une seconde chambre.
A l'extérieur, quel aspect bunker !
Et voilà le drame, ces arbres effondrés sur la villa. Et au vu de comment les autres penchent, ce n'est pas fini.
L'ancienne piscine, occupée par des grenouilles.
Du temps de la splendeur de la villa. On reconnaît bien les volets et les murs.
Une rare photo de concert dans la villa. Reconnaissez-vous le lustre qui pend dans l'escalier, à ce point inchangé ? Il chante dans la villa au moindre coup de vent. Les fenêtres, les volets, tout est pétrifié, identique encore aujourd'hui.