Angelina Jolie says she and her children have not been back to their French home, Chateau Miraval, since she and Brad Pitt separated. The estate, which they once shared, holds painful memories for her, and she has chosen to stay away from it.
After the couple’s split, Angelina gave Brad Pitt full control of their family homes, including the one in France, hoping it would help ease tensions between them. She said in court documents that neither she nor her children have “set foot” on the property since.
What is the value of Château Miraval?
Château Miraval is more than just a home; it is a very valuable estate. As of early 2024, the property is worth around $500 million. This high value comes from both the beautiful land and the successful wine business operating there.
The estate covers about 400 hectares (around 1,000 acres) of vineyards, pine forests, olive groves, and gardens. Its wines, especially the rosé, are famous worldwide and bring in a lot of money.
The couple originally bought the property in 2008 for about $60 million, and since then, its value has grown significantly.
What are the features of the estate?
The château itself is a beautiful building from the mid-1800s with around 35 rooms. It sits in the peaceful village of Correns in southern France.
The property has many charming old features like a moat, fountains, and a pond. One of its special highlights is a large wine cellar built by the inventor of reinforced concrete.
Inside, the home feels both elegant and welcoming. The rooms are designed simply but comfortably, with large beds and wooden furniture. Brad Pitt helped design the home to fit the needs of their six children, making it a place for family life.
Brad Pitt was deeply involved in making the estate special. He added many luxury features such as indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a dirt bike course, a helicopter pad, a gym, a spa, a home theater, and even a video game room. He also made custom furniture, showing his care for the home’s details.
Angelina Jolie also made her mark, including moving a 200-year-old olive tree to the garden, blending nature and beauty in the outdoor space.
The beautiful garden
The gardens at Château Miraval are large and carefully cared for. They have many types of plants, including 13 kinds of olive trees planted on stone terraces that follow the land’s natural shape.
The grounds include pine forests, natural streams, and hills covered with vineyards and olive groves.
There is also a small French-Gothic chapel on the estate, rebuilt in the late 19th century. This chapel is special because it was the place where Angelina and Brad held their wedding in 2014.
Château Miraval is not just a home and winery but also a place with a rich artistic history. The estate has a famous recording studio called Studio Miraval, built in 1977 by a French jazz pianist.
Many famous musicians like Pink Floyd, Sting, and the Cranberries have recorded music there.
Brad Pitt updated the studio with the latest sound technology while keeping some vintage equipment, making it a creative space that mixes history and modern art.
The estate’s vineyards produce the well-known Miraval rosé wine. This wine is grown in the estate’s unique soil and sunny climate, mainly from Grenache grapes.
Miraval rosé is one of the world’s top-selling rosé wines, with about 150,000 cases sold every year.
This wine business adds a special meaning to the property, combining the beauty of French winemaking with the couple’s celebrity status.