Pablo Picasso's beloved French villa that was abandoned for 30 years after his death is set to sell for £18million at auction after stunning restoration
The French riviera home where iconic artist Pablo Picasso lived and died will go on sale today after three decades of abandonment ended with a top to bottom restoration.
Mas de Notre Dame de Vie in Mougins, on the Côte d’Azur was bought by the Spanish artist in 1961, and he lived and worked there until his death in 1973, aged 91, the Daily Mail reports.
The 15-bedroom property was left empty after the death of Picasso’s wife, Jacqueline Roque, in 1986, but is now up for auction following a two-year refurbishment project, with bids starting at 20.2 million euros (£18.7million).
When Picasso died Ms Roque left everything as it had been in his lifetime, with the new owners even finding his reading glasses where he had left them, according to Christie's real estate firm R365.
Originally, the estate had 24 rooms, but the legendary artist extended several areas of the house to turn it into his dream home, including building a large studio with a terrace in the main building.
The main building is surrounded by eight acres of grounds, including a professional tennis court, a swimming pool and a pool house which boasts a complete gym and spa with changing rooms and a massage space.
The garden has been restored to Picasso’s original designs, with several terraces, an orangery and water features.
In addition to the main and pool houses, there is also a guest house and a caretaker's quarters.
