Pan Dei Palais

Saint-Tropez

Saint-Tropez has not lost any of its village like authenticity in spite of it being a favorite beach resort of the international jet set. Its tall houses with ocher, yellow and orange facades which reflect in the water around the port, are officially protected historic monuments as is the parish church’s Sienna bell tower. The Ponche, the numerous chapels, the Vasserot wash house and its fountain, The Jarier Tower and the Chateau de la Moutte, also registered or classified as part of France’s national heritage.

Founded by the Phoenicians in the 6^th century B.C, the city, which owes its name to the Torpe martyr executed during Nero’s reign, the city was a small trading port which in turn became Greek, Etruscan and finally Roman. Its position facing the sea attracted artists and writers as early as the 19^th century after having been discovered by Guy de Maupassant and Paul Signac. Matisse, Bonnard, Marquet, Buffet and David Hockney either stayed or settled here. Colette, Françoise Sagan, Jean-Paul Sartre and Boris Vian chose it for their secondary residence. In the 1950s, the “New Wave” in French cinema invaded the village’s narrow, winding streets. Movie stars came here to live, lured by Brigitte Bardot, who made it her permanent home. Today, Saint-Tropez is synonymous with the jet set, yachts and the rich and famous, although this little village in the Var is an ideal spot for quiet strolls along the ocean or through the narrow streets near the port with their colorfully painted houses, strolls which are especially recommended during the off season when the paparazzi and their prey have deserted the town.

An eastern palace in a Varois village

In the heart of the frenetic atmosphere of Saint-Tropez, a few steps from the celebrated Place des Lices and the port, the Pan Deï Palais is a veritable haven of peace. Its discreet façade conceals what awaits visitors once they have walked through the magnificent wooden door. Built in 1835 by General Allard for his wife, Princess Pan Deï, the house is a true oriental palace. Forced into exile after Napoleon’s downfall, this child of Saint-Tropez went to India where he served the Maharajah Ranjit Singh and fell in love with the Pan Deï, the maharajah’s daughter. Allard married her, and they had seven children together. Upon his return to Saint-Tropez with his family, he had a house built that was worthy of his eastern princess.

In this warm and comfortable jewel of a home in Turkish white stone and decorated with centuries old sculpted wood, twelve rooms and suites welcome visitors in search of rest and relaxation. All twelve open onto an interior patio and a mosaic swimming pool. In each room, canopy beds, refined bedspreads and Anatolian kilms or rugs provide the décor for the rooms, which are equipped with every possible modern comfort. The consoles and secretaries made in India from ancient wood recovered from temples, the hand embroidered curtains and the silk cushions add a note of authenticity and chic to this exotic decoration. Decorator Françoise Piault’s goal was to recapture the soul of a refined and exotic oriental palace with ocher and red benches, arabesques, Indian divinities nestled in wall niches, authentic engraved wood, a bas-relief in carved stone depicting Balinese buddhas, and a Burmese temple wall in carved wood enthroned in the Krishna salon. The faraway feeling of exoticism is total. The oriental influence also makes itself felt in the menu with lobster spring rolls, truffle ravioli, or tikka cod, enough to satisfy even the most demanding tastes. At the Pan Deï Palais, India is a two-minute walk from the Mediterranean!

The names of gods and goddesses were selected for each room by their resonance. A master Buddhist has harmonized a space where unhindered energy flows.