Var from €119,500

Another château leaseback scheme in the Var hinterland in Provence, 20 minutes' drive from the Riviera in a setting of pine forests, vineyards and sleepy villages is also on the market.

This scheme involves the development and restoration of Château de Camiole and its gardens on the outskirts of Callian, a pretty village perché. Montauroux is clearly visible on a nearby hilltop and Fayence and Tourettes are a few minutes' drive. .

The pink-washed château has a fascinating history as the "golden exile" of Madame Juliette Adam. It was built in 1875 by her lawyer husband Edmond Adam with the intention of isolating his beautiful wife from her intrigues and affairs with prominent political figures of the time.In the end, Madame Juliette outlived her husband by several decades and became an important symbol of the Third Republic.

She entertained many of the great personalities of her time at the château, including de Maupassant, Proust, Flaubert, Georges Clemenceau, Gambetta, Eiffel and George Sand. She was the only woman present at the signing of the Versailles Treaty in June 1919.

The château had been empty for some time and was in disrepair when Jean-Claude Lyon acquired it for his leaseback scheme. Now the Château de Camiole resort and spa is taking shape at a fast pace on the seven-hectare former château gardens on the edge of the village.

Prices range from €119,500 to €316,000 for fully-furnished studios and one, two and three-bedroom apartments. Individual three-bedroom furnished villas with gardens and private pools cost from €582,000 to €649,000. Guaranteed rental income of up to 3.83 per cent is on offer, depending on occupancy. Completion of the entire estate is scheduled for early 2009, according to Eoin McCormack of French Property Ireland, who is handling Irish sales from his Nice base. Under the French government-sponsored leaseback scheme, buyers purchase exclusive of Vat.

Local developer Jean-Claude Lyon of Sarl Hortus is passionate about this part of Provence and determined early in the planning stages to respect the natural environment and integrate design at château de Camiole with the adjacent village.

To this end, villas and low-rise apartment buildings will be in typical Provencal style, with pastel facades, painted shutters, tiled roofs and stone detail.

A spring on the edge of the site will be diverted to run through the main square and form a refreshing water feature.

The château will be converted to a 56-bedroom hotel, restaurant and conference area, linked to the residencies by a glazed orangerie. All the features expected from an upmarket French resort will be installed by Jean-Claude Lyon and his team.

The four-star facilities will include plasma televisions and a high-spec fit-out, internet access, restaurants and cafés, children's club, a multi-sports area and three communal pools.

A 450sq m (4,844sq ft) health and spa centre will include indoor and outdoor pools, treatment rooms and a gymnasium. Green areas will be cultivated with perfumed flowers and herbs.

Exclusive Terre Blanche golf resort - a few minutes drive from château de Camiole - will offer discounts on green fees to residents of château de Camiole. Shuttle buses will operate to and from the village and Nice Cote d'Azur airport.

French Property Ireland, www.fpi.ie 1850 882800/0033 493 442 188