Milan (AFP)
Italian liquor group Campari announced Thursday it has finally signed an agreement to sell in the south-east of France the villa "Cedars", located in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat on the Côte d'Azur, for 200 million of which it will retain 80 million.
In a statement, Campari did not specify who the buyer was, but said the villa would be for "private use".
The amount displayed is much lower than those mentioned by the French press when the villa was put up for sale in 2016.
The daily Nice-Matin, which quoted "some observers", had estimated that the price of the vast house, in the middle of majestic pines, could reach one billion euros. The daily Le Figaro had, meanwhile, raised between 300 and 500 million euros, while Campari had refused to comment "rumors" about the possible price of the property.
In addition to its location in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, common near Nice nicknamed "the peninsula billionaires, the value of the villa" Les Cedres ", built in 1830, is due to its beautiful botanical park of 14 hectares. part dwelling extends, she, on 18.000 m2.
The villa fell into the purse of Campari when he bought in 2016, after a tender offer (OPA), the Company Products Marnier-Lapostolle (SPML), which manufactures the famous liquor to the bitter orange Grand Marnier.
Owned by the King of Belgium Leopold II from 1904, the villa was acquired by Alexandre Marnier-Lapostolle in 1924 and entered the fold of the SPML in 1976.
Campari will keep only 80 million euros from the proceeds of the sale, the rest to be distributed among the family members of SPML shareholders, in accordance with the agreement reached during the OPA.
The sale is expected to close by October 31, 2019.
The Italian group stated that it would then have completed the process of selling non-strategic activities related to the acquisition of Grand Marnier. He notably sold the prestigious Château de Sancerre (Cher), as well as Italian and Chilean wines.
© 2019 AFP