Villa mauresque, Cultural heritage villa in Hyères, France

Villa Mauresque is a two-storey villa at 2 avenue Jean-Natte in Hyères, built in 1881 by architect Pierre Chapoulart in an orientalist style. Its pale yellow-cream walls carry a red terracotta tiled roof; on the right a square tower topped by a green dome with a small finial bears blue and white geometric tile panels around an arched window. A lower wing extends left behind a battlemented parapet with bands of blue, yellow and white patterned tiles, and the facade has tall arched windows with green louvred shutters and a small balcony with a blue-tiled floor. Behind the dark wrought-iron gates, the plan is that of a classic villa: a basement for the service rooms, a ground floor with salon, dining room, kitchen and office, and bedrooms upstairs.

The house was built in 1881 by architect Pierre Chapoulart for industrialist Alexis Godillot. Queen Victoria visited the gardens during her stay in the region in 1892.

The villa's name comes from its orientalist design, built for receptions and winter rentals. Its garden was planted with orange trees, palms and yuccas suited to the setting. In 1892 Alexis Godillot received Queen Victoria in these gardens, the event most often recalled about the property.

The villa stands at 2, avenue Jean-Natte in Hyères and is covered by the AVAP zone protecting its setting. It is a private residence, so visits concern the exterior and the garden rather than the rooms. The garden, planted with orange trees, palms and yuccas, is the part open to the public.

The villa was built both for Godillot's receptions and for letting to winter visitors, and in 1892 he received Queen Victoria in its gardens. Its architect, Pierre Chapoulart, kept another Hyères orientalist house, the Villa Tunisienne, as his own home and agency.