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Origin and history

Villa Tholozan, also known as Villa Alberti, is a private villa built in 1858 in Hyères, in the Chateaubriand district, on the heights of the city. Sponsored by the Duke of Luynes (1802-1867), deputy director of the Museum of Greek and Egyptian Antiquities, it is one of the oldest villas in the region. Its neo-Palladian architecture, marked by italianizing influences, is distinguished by a central forebody evoking a triumphal arch, cascade terraces and bays in the middle. The villa was designed to maximize sunlight and sea views, reflecting the model of the winter residences of the aristocracy under Napoleon III.

The building is attributed to architect Frédéric Debacq, a collaborator of the Duke of Luynes during his archaeological trips and restorations of the Château de Dampierre, alongside Charles Garnier. Some also evoke Felix Duban, although this paternity remains uncertain. The villa then passed by inheritance to the Marquise de Tholozan, born Louise de Sabran-Pontevès (1864-1914), granddaughter of the Duke, then to his descendants, Honoré (1887-1916), Jules (1886-1946), and finally Alyette de Lareinty-Tholozan (1892-1954). Its classic interior, organised around a large living room opening onto a terrace, reflects an aesthetic concern centered on light and landscape.

Listed as a historical monument in 1975, Villa Tholozan illustrates the 19th-century passion for Mediterranean villas, combining architectural prestige and art of living. Its park, once rich in exotic species, complemented this luxurious setting, reserved for an elite wintering on the Côte d'Azur. Today in condominium, it remains a major testimony of the hyeroic heritage, alongside other contemporary villas such as the Roman Villa, acquired by the municipality.

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