Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The villa l'Artaude, also known as "Villa Mandrot", was designed in 1930 by Le Corbusier for Hélène de Mandrot, Swiss patron. This holiday home, built in stone according to the local technique of incertum, is distinguished by its L plan and its modules of 4x4 meters. The reinforced concrete floor, carried by a rough masonry, and the glass walls give it a Mediterranean character unique in the architect's work.

The Countess of Mandrot, who met Le Corbusier at the first international congress of modern architecture in 1928, asked him for a "small, simple house, like his mother's". The work, led by local entrepreneur Dominique Aimonetti, was completed in 1931. The garden-terrace, closed on three sides, housed two sculptures by Jacques Lipchitz: Le Chant des vowelles (1931) and Nu couched with guitar (1928).

As soon as he moved in in July 1931, arrangements (seam, shutters, coated) partially altered the original design. Classified as a historical monument in 1987 and labeled a 20th century heritage, the villa remains a private property. Its architecture, combining minimalism and landscape integration, illustrates Le Corbusier's adaptation to local constraints and the wishes of its sponsor.

Today, the villa retains few original interior elements, with the exception of the bathtub. Its classification protects the entire building (cadastre C 799, 2614, 2617), testifying to its importance in the history of modern architecture in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.

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