The villa has a long an interesting history that is over 2000 years old. The first villas we think were built during the Roman Empire; it is amazing to think just how much luxury the ancient Roman civilisation had.

Villas today try to continue the legacy left by the Roman villa designers but add their own unique touch of style and design to create a more modern living experience.

Pliny the Elder, a Roman philosopher (died 79 AD) noted that there where two types of villa the villa urbana and the villa rustica; the latter was a country villa that could be easily reached from Rome for one or two nights (in the urbana or suburbs of Rome), the former was a farm-house estate constantly occupied and maintained by servants.

Villas of course were built for the wealthy upper-class and designed for comfort and style. Interestingly the villa rustica would have been occupied seasonally by their owners to escape the Roman summer heat in the hills surrounding the city. Interestingly the great Cicero apparently owned seven villas set in wonderful botanic gardens.

Does this seasonal inhabitation remind you of any modern practices’, how many holiday makers escape the rat-race to relax the mind, body and soul in the beautiful hills of Southern France, Tuscany in Italy or Ubud in Bali?

In terms of design it is difficult for art historians to discover who the designers and builders were of the ancient villas. The design story starts in Renaissance Italy a time that has so deeply influenced so much design and art since then.

Some of the greatest villas still standing are the Medici villas built in 15th century and designed by Michelozzi and Niccolo Tribolo. The later villas designed by Niccolo Tribolo are outstanding examples of Renaissance and Baroque architecture. These villas were very big and the opposite to the small boutique resorts you find today.

The first designer to pull the villa into the modern world was Andrea Palladio considered as one of the most influential individuals in the history of Western architecture. He designed and built villas in northern Italy for the Venetian aristocracy. By consolidating the stand-alone farm buildings into a single structure, and organising this structure to have a strong centre and symmetrical side-wings, Palladio was able to give a new breath of life into decaying old villas turning them into examples of deluxe styling accommodation.

In 18th century England a revival in the interest of Palladio and Inigo Jones led to the development of neo-palladian villas being built along the river Thames. At this time the word villa was being used to describe any big suburban house that was detached with landscaped botanic gardens. Eventually the term villa became to loosely used and dropped out of existence to be replaced by bungalow.

Now, the concept of the villa is mostly isolated to southern Europe, Latin America, German speaking countries and on the American west coast.

However, I suggest that there has been second Renaissance in villa design; this second Renaissance is based on transforming huge overpowering villas into small boutique resorts but still keeping the villa feeling. I have stayed in villas all over southern Europe and have felt underwhelmed by what they call deluxe styling accommodation, they tend to be second homes rented out for the summer, the care and attention is just not there.

I spent a one month on the island of Bali and spent two weeks in Bali’s cultural centre Ubud. I had heard that Bali has unbelievable, small boutique resorts and luxury villas for rent and was interested to see for myself. The competitive nature of Bali and especially Ubud villa rental means that all villa owners have to be on top of their game.

I searched Google for Ubud villa rental and found a charming little place called The Purist Villas. I had a wonderful time taking in all the cultural aspects of Balinese traditions in Ubud and my accommodation was the icing on the cake. The owner of this deluxe styling accommodation was also the designer and builder of the villa complex. His name is Alberto Cortes and I very much enjoyed speaking to him about the history of villa design.

Alberto Cortez suggests that European villas are too big and do not cater for the couple on holiday or for a small family that does not need 4 large bedrooms. Alberto Cortez designed a set of 2 bedroom villas in Ibiza that were massively popular. He applied elegant and simple design to this idea and bought it to Ubud. I was also surprised to find that accept for all the original pieces, every piece of furniture and fitting was designed by Alberto Cortez and his wife – the attention to detail is incredible.

I think it’s fantastic that we still continue the 2000 year old tradition of villa building. From the massive stately retreats of Cicero to the small boutique hotels in Ubud, humans really know how to live in style

In Cannes recreational possibilities are many and varied. The old town, Le Suquet, is one of the most interesting areas of the city, where small fishing boats are moored next to enormous luxury yachts. The walk to the top of the Rue Saint Antoine worth the effort, since both the seen as the restaurants located at the top are spectacular. There are many top-grade apartments and villas for rent, when it comes to accommodations in Cannes. With a luxurious villa rental in Cannes, we can enjoy your vacation in comfort and without stress. If you are planning to visit this city during the International film festival, it is a need to book well in advance of these villas, since these are the first to have engaged in high season. Simplest way to book the luxury villa in Cannes is to go online and search for the best. It’s easy and simple, just compare the details and make your choice. If you are looking to rent accommodation for your holiday in Cannes go on Cannes Luxury Villa.

As you mentioned in May’s Cannes Film Festival makes the villas in Cannes are a precious asset for the visitors, as events and celebrations last well into the night. Thus, flexibility and privacy that allows for a villa in Cannes was priceless.

Many celebrities bring many fans and many tourists to this city especially during the prestigious Cannes film festival. In almost every vacation season many <a rel=”nofollow” onclick=”javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview(‘/outgoing/article_exit_link’);” href=http://www.cannes-luxury-villa.com> Villa For Rent in Cannes </a> are fully booked with tourists enthusiasts. Being a very rich area, Cannes has some of the gorgeous and finest accommodation options. With a large clientele and famous, it’s no wonder that Cannes is also popular for its luxury boutiques. Exquisite restaurants and hotels such as the Majestic barriers are also sights of this city. By visiting this site, a shopping trip is a necessity in the to-do-list! But apart from that there are many places and cultural sites will be explored in Cannes.

A most memorable experience in the city is a walk through the Mont gentleman Sequent. The view from there is magnificent and spectacular. The villas are situated in prime locations, which are also the most elegant of the city. All points of the tourists are easily accessible from the location of these exquisite villas. With a luxurious villa rental in Cannes, we can enjoy your vacation in comfort and without stress. If you are planning to visit this city during the International film festival, it is a need to book well in advance of these villas, since these are the first to have engaged in high season.

Of course, you may be asking yourself: Why would I even want to own a St. Tropez villa?  Despite the sluggishness of the market, St. Tropez remains one of the best places to invest in real estate.  The economy may be down, but it does not stop anyone from going to this holiday hotspot in the south of France.  Below are a few reasons why you should consider buying a property in this part of France.

Avoid booking hassles.  If you have your own place to stay, you do not have to worry about booking a room at a hotel or renting accommodations.  Booking accommodations can be a huge hassle during the holiday season, with rooms scarce and the prices being pushed up.  If you have your own place in St. Tropez, all you need to do is to fly to the south of France and enjoy your holiday.

Comfort.  Hotel accommodations can be comfortable, but there is nothing like the comfort of being in your own house.  You can do whatever you please in your own villa, and you do not have to worry about breaking anything or whatnot.

Privacy.  One of the “games” that tourists often play in St. Tropez is the game of seeing and being seen.  If you want to avoid the inevitable people-watching that happens in the more public corners of St. Tropez, you can stay in your villa and have your own fun there.

Off-peak holidays.  Having your own St. Tropez villa can give you an excuse to visit the town even during the off-peak season.  It is usually during the off-peak season that you can get to know the town for what it really is, without the noise and the bustle that tourists bring.  St. Tropez is actually more charming and cosy without the tourists.

Income generation.  Of course, you do not have to be the one to stay full time in your luxury villa.  You can keep your primary residence and the villa as a second home.  If you are not coming down to St. Tropez for a holiday, then you can make money out of your property by renting it out.  There are a few tasks that you need to take care of to get this done, such as probably refurbishing the villa and hiring a management firm to take care of it while you are away, but you can certainly make money out of your property.  You will get your return on your investment in almost no time.

So is a villa necessarily bigger, better and smarter than a house and how does it stack up in the overall pecking order of housing types? In the nomenclature of housing types in Mauritius you will also find chateaus, country houses, large houses, manors, mansions and bungalows.

So what is a villa? Synonyms commonly used for ‘villa’ include a ‘country residence’ or ‘estate’, any imposing or pretentious residence, especially one in the country or suburbs maintained as a retreat by a wealthy person, a chateau, country house, large house, manor, mansion, summer house and vacation home.

If you are confused by all this, don’t feel alone because so is Google and the other Internet search engines. If you list a property in Mauritius and probably in most other exotic destinations and use the word ‘villa’ to describe the property you will attract far more searches than from people searching for houses on the web.

The August 2009 Google stats have revealed that “Villas in Mauritius” attracted 2.2 times more searches than “Houses in Mauritius”.

Some research reveals that a villa was originally a Roman upper-class rural home, especially in Italy and Southern France. In the Roman Villas, the dwelling quarters consisted of several low buildings, including recreation facilities and lodgings for the servants.  After the fall of the Roman Empire, a ‘villa’ became a small, fortified farming compound. The farmhouse type villa (villa rustica) had barns, orchards, and vineyards, and the type used as a pleasure retreat (villa urbana) had formal gardens adorned with fountains and sculptures.

The term gradually evolved through medieval times into meaning luxurious, upper-class country homes. In the early 18th century the English took on the term and soon ‘villas’ dotted the River Thames valley. The more conventional understanding of a ‘villa’ was that it had extended wings of rooms all opening onto a linking portico, or even to an enclosed courtyard. Roman writers often referred to the self-sufficiency of their villas, where they drank their own wine and pressed their own oil.

The modern interpretation of ‘villa’ can refer to a detached dwelling and in the 19th century ‘villa’ came to mean any suburban house that was free-standing, as opposed to a ‘terrace’ of joined houses. After the First World War, the suburban ‘villa’ became a ‘bungalow’ and this term is still used in both Australia and New Zealand. In Mauritius ‘bungalow’ often refers to a second or holiday home on the sea. But people living in inland country homes or ‘chateaus’ could have a ‘bungalow’ which is indeed a ‘villa’.

The villa concept lives on in southern Europe, where villas are associated with upper-class social position and lifestyle. Most British holiday makers would expect a villa to be a luxurious, modern and well equipped home, usually in a warm climate such as Florida or Spain. If it is a Florida villa they would expect a home that is near the beach with a swimming pool and air conditioning, and extras such as games rooms and plasma TVs.

The word ‘bungalow’ has also climbed up the pecking order.  The name derives from a Hindi word meaning ‘a house in the Bengali style’ and came into English during the era of the British administration of India. In the UK the name became a derisive one because of the spread of poorly built bungalow-type houses there. The style, however, gained popularity in housing developments of American towns during the 1920s. Its general design—with high ceilings, large doors and windows, and shade-giving eaves or verandas—makes it especially well suited for hot climates, and bungalows are still frequently built as summer cottages or as homes in warm regions.

A chateau on the other hand is defined by “dictionary.net” as a castle or a fortress in France and a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor; a gentleman’s country seat; also, particularly, a royal residence. The chateaus found in Mauritius were influenced by colonial architecture and some fine examples still exist, such as:

Chateau de Labourdonnais – Privately-owned colonial house dated 1850 in Goodlands. Chateau Bel-Ombre – Private property, dated 1776, part of the Bel-Ombre Sugar Estate. Chateau de Mon-Plaisir – Built in 1735 by Mahe de Labourdonnais and around which the Pamplemousses gardens were created. Chateau du Reduit – Built in 1778, actual residence of the President of the Republic of Mauritius situated in the Reduit area. Chateau de Villebague – Built in 1740, house of Mahe de Labourdonnais. Now private property. Eureka – Colonial house built in 1830 at Moka, on the road from Port-Louis to Curepipe. Now a museum. Riche-en-Eau:  – Colonial house, part of the Riche-en-Eau Sugar Estate.

So how do we make sense of these terms in Mauritius? We would suggest that the housing pecking order should be as follows:

A ‘chateau’ must be at the top, although it would be extremely rare for any of them to come onto the market. This will be followed by: A ‘villa’, which is a large detached home with large verandas and entertainment areas. A villa must have a swimming pool and be enclosed with a stone boundary walls. A villa could be located on or close to the sea or could be country house. A ‘bungalow’ is a holiday home or second home located on the sea. It could also be a small house or cottage. A ‘house’ could include combinations of all the above and would more often than not be located on the sea.

Whatever you understand the meaning of ‘villa’ to be, there is no doubt that it is and will remain fashionable to own or stay in a villa.

The full article can be viewed at http://www.fineandcountry.mu/property/press/is-a-villa-really-a-villa-the-mauritius-experience-75

Should you choose Languedoc – another important consideration is when to go is? Winters are brief and mercifully mild. Snow and frost is uncommon and even in December and January the sky is blue most of the time. Even in winter the temperatures rarely get cold for more than a few days and the season is remarkably short. From early February it usually quite pleasant and warm enough to sit out and in the height of the summer a good hat is often needed or perhaps a parasol and a cool glass of vin blanc!

Languedoc is especially noted for its magnificent beauty and its visitor attractions have attracted travel writers and numerous visitors for centuries. Most of the landscape is dominated by the Pyrenees Mountains. They are both high and snow covered for most of the year and Canigou is one of the most famous peaks at just under 10000 feet. The Canal du Midi bisects the region, connecting the Atlantic and Mediterranean. It’s used solely as a tourist attraction now, and it’s possible to hire boats on the canal and enjoy the landscape as the waterway meanders across the sun baked plain of southern Languedoc.

Ancient monasteries, vine covered hills and picturesque villages dominate the landscape and tourist attractions include the ancient city of Carcassonne. It is one of the highlights of any trip to France and to this day instils a sense of medieval history in visitors. Its turreted walls have made it one of the most visited tourist attractions in France and it’s easy to imagine the sound of clashing swords, frightened horses and gallant knights of old as one gazes up at the historic city.

Increasingly, many visitors travel to Languedoc to discover France as it used to be. This is an ideal way to get a real taste of what France has to offer. It’s a region that has managed to remain unspoilt for many years. Olive groves, sunny villages, orchards and of course some of the most extensive vineyards in the world are there to be explored.

For those interested in food and wine there are endless wineries and many are combined with excellent restaurants so you can sample all the local produce at the one sitting!

A further consideration is to decide what type of accommodation to look for? Holiday accommodation in Languedoc comprises a range of good standard hotels, bed and breakfasts and self catering accommodation ‘gites’ style accommodation. However, despite the growing popularity of the region with tourists, the area is not over endowed with quality accommodation. For example there are relatively few self catering villas with private pools that offer all en suite accommodation. Accommodation is increasingly chosen on-line with a wealth of websites to choose from. It’s always a good idea to have a particular destination in mind- the Canal du Midi for example or the lovely Minervois hills. It’s also worth bearing in mind that some villa accommodation is old but renovated property- these typically have more character than their more moder counterparts, but don’t always enjoy for example en-suite facilities.

One of my favourite places to stay in France is Villa La Cascade. This self catering villa with private pool is set at the edge of the old village of Durban Corbieres, complete with medieval castle. It’s only an hour or so from both Perpignan and Carcassonne airports. Within walking distance of the village and bakery it delivers high quality accommodation for up to six adults in three en suite bedrooms with magnificent views over the Corbieres hills. See http://www.rentvillalanguedoc.com

When renting a villa consider if it is convenient to the excellent French motorway network as for example many British visitors take cars on the Eurotunnel or the myriad of ferries and drive to Languedoc.

Nearby, the town of Narbonne has a great food market and is ideal for a leisurely stroll through the old streets- perhaps ending ones visit with a cafe au lait in the old main square, compete with Roman ruins.

All told, Languedoc deserves to be discovered so make a resolution to visit this still undiscovered treasure of Southern France.

But why spend a honeymoon in the south of France instead of Paris, for instance?  Paris is a beautiful and romantic city; there is no doubt about it.  However, the south of France is just as lovely.  Moreover, it is extremely suitable for a couple who wants to have a quiet honeymoon in the countryside.

What romantic adventures await a pair of newlyweds on their honeymoon in one of the lovely villa rentals in the south of France?  Below are just some of the delights that newlyweds can partake during their time in this cosy part of Europe.

Private Luxury

Honeymooning in one of the many villa rentals in the south of France is just like combining the comforts of home with the luxurious atmosphere of staying in a four- or five-star hotel.  The decor, the furnishings and the fixtures in the villa are sure to be elegant but with the little personal touches that create a homey atmosphere.

Many villas are also provided with their own in-house staff such as a housekeeper, chambermaid and cook.  The honeymooning couple will be free to enjoy their holiday without having to concern themselves with everyday tasks, their every need catered for by ever attentive staff.

Most of all, the couple’s privacy is assured when they stay in a rented villa.  The couple will be the only ones staying on the premises.  They will not be disturbed by other guests and so can fully enjoy each other’s company in a peaceful envronment.

Activities to Enjoy

Newlyweds go on honeymoon mainly to enjoy each other and to give their marriage a good start.  The honeymoon is also a time to bond and to lay out the dynamics that will make their partnership work smoothly in the long run.  By choosing to stay in a luxury villa in the south of France, they will open themselves to a great range of activities that they can enjoy together.

The bastide villages in the south of France have been there since the Middle Ages and are certainly worth exploring.  They can also stumble upon a good local restaurant and sample the great dishes that south of France is known for.

The honeymooners can also use the villa they are staying in as their home base for day trips.  They can visit the nearby wineries; south of France, after all, is biggest wine country in the world.  They can also go hiking or drive to the beach or go on a river cruise.

A honeymoon in a luxury villa in the south of France can give a newlywed couple a unique experience to remember.  It is a memory that they will definitely cherish for the rest of their lives.

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If you are going to the time and effort of picking a villa for your next vacation you want to make sure it is the right one. Whether you are looking at Umbria villas or South of France villas, knowing what you need, what you want and what you are hoping for can help you choose the right villa for you and your traveling companions.

There is a huge difference between needs, wants and hopes. This is as true for South of France villas and Umbria villas as it is for your every day home. Needs are critical because without them, you may have trouble enjoying your trip regardless of how beautiful the surroundings are and how much you have always want to stay in South of France villas or Umbria villas.

Some important needs include enough beds so that everyone can sleep comfortably, enough space so that people are not constantly bumping into each other and enough bathrooms so that you are not left waiting on a regular basis. You may not think this is so important when you are first booking South of France villas or Umbria villas but if your vacation is a longer one, you may find that you are uncomfortable and unhappy in villas which are too small for your needs.

Privacy and personal space are important in South of France villas and Umbria villas. Although these areas are known for their amazing weather the truth is that you may be travelling during a time when the weather is not the best. If you expect that you may be stuck inside your villas because of a storm or for other reasons you will begin to understand why personal space is such an important factor.

Wants include other amenities that may not be as vital as the things you need. South of France villas and Umbria villas can be found which range from very basic to very lavish. Wants may include a beachfront location, proximity to popular shopping areas or other similar factors. This is one way in which a good website can help you book the best Umbria villas or South of France villas for your next vacation. Because they tell you a lot of information about the individual villa listings you can get a good idea of the properties you are looking at.

Some wants and needs will actually overlap. Depending on the Umbria villas you are looking at or the South of France villas you are considering you may want to take into account travel plans. You may want a beachfront location but need to look at Umbria villas and South of France villas that are more convenient to travel to. If you take factors such as these into consideration you can feel confident that you are getting the perfect place for you spend your holiday time in.

If you are new to renting villas you may want to talk to others who have rented in the areas you are considering. They can give you great information about the area and let you know what areas you may want to stay away from.