It can easily be argued they need another multimillion-dollar high-maintenance home about as much as a butterfly needs a submarine, but the French press is nonetheless breathlessly rife with rumors and reports that A-list citizens of the world George and Amal Clooney are interested in the purchase of a historic estate in a particularly scenic area of the South of France.
Known as Domaine de Canadel, the estate in question is about an hour’s drive outside of glitzy Saint-Tropez, in the medieval commune of Brignoles, and just a dozen or so miles from Château Miraval, the vast compound in Correns owned by Clooney’s friend and “Ocean’s” trilogy cast mate Brad Pitt.
Though the purchase remains unconfirmed, even the mayor of Brignoles, Didier Brémond, has weighed in, telling the radio network France Bleu the couple and their family have come to the profoundly picturesque region “to seek peace” and “rest.”
However, it seems the not-quite-signed-on-the-dotted-line deal faces some complications and potential legal issues. Local residents and news outlets have been buzzing about the pending purchase for weeks, but a recent report in Le Figaro indicates the Clooneys’ bid to acquire Domaine de Canadel may in fact be thwarted by another buyer, a local investor who claims the estate’s owner has already entered a binding agreement to sell the property for “the sum of 6 million euros.” So the story goes, it is possible the sellers, reportedly a couple from Australia, can override the first sale and sell it, presumably at a higher price, to the Clooneys. Alas, should the sellers proceed in that manner, an attorney for the unnamed investor promises to call for the “cancellation of the fraud-related sale” and thus “creating legal uncertainty for the purchaser for a long time.”
Given the complications, it makes sense the Clooneys might opt to back out of the deal rather than engage in would could be a long and costly legal battle. Still, whatever the outcome, there’s no question why the Clooneys would be drawn to the profoundly beautiful Provençe region, and more specifically to Domaine de Canadel.