Let me paint you a picture. On her 60th birthday in 1989, Audrey Hepburn, the timeless icon of grace and elegance, received a truly magnificent gift. Her close friend and designer, Hubert de Givenchy, sent her 60 white rose bushes to be planted in her garden at Tolochenaz, Switzerland. "Half of those bushes are still thriving," Katharina Beaujolin, the real estate agent who recently listed Audrey’s former home, La Paisible, for a cool $21 million, told Bloomberg. It’s a testament to the enduring beauty of Audrey’s life there.
Now, picture this: from 1963, when Audrey, fresh off her starring role in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, purchased the estate, until her passing in 1993, La Paisible was her sanctuary. It was tucked behind a stone wall in a French-speaking Swiss village, far from the hustle and bustle of Hollywood. “When I had to go to school and could no longer travel to be with her on set, she made a bold decision. She stepped away from her dazzling career to become a full-time mom,” Sean Hepburn Ferrer, Audrey’s eldest son with actor Mel Ferrer, exclusively shared with Closer. He added, “I went to school with the local kids, blending in as just another villager.”
Those years spent raising her family away from the spotlight were among the happiest of Audrey’s life. In 1985, she reflected, “I started having children, and raising them became so incredibly important to me. I realized I couldn’t juggle both a career and family, so I chose family.” And in 1970, during her marriage to Andrea Dotti, her family grew with the arrival of her second son, Luca Dotti.
Read also:Blue Bloods Coexecutive Producer Reflects On The Shows Emotional Farewell
La Paisible: Audrey’s Haven of Peace and Tranquility
La Paisible, which translates to “peaceful” in French, was Audrey’s haven of calm and simplicity, even after both of her marriages had ended. Nestled in a quaint, tourist-free village, the estate boasts an impressive 12 bedrooms, eight bathrooms, and ample space for entertaining. It also features a pool, ancient shade trees that have stood the test of time, and a sprawling 40 acres of park-like grounds where Audrey nurtured her gardens.
“She would pick fruit from the trees and lovingly make jams,” Sean fondly recalls. When the apple trees on her property bore an abundance of fruit, Audrey generously donated them to the Salvation Army International. Luca admits that his mother always felt more at home in Switzerland. “She loved walking and getting to know her neighbors—something that can be challenging in Hollywood,” he tells Closer. “My mom didn’t have a driver's license, but she loved dogs, so walking was a natural fit for her.”
Audrey Cherished the Seasons and Celebrations at Her Swiss Home
Audrey and her family cherished many holidays at La Paisible. “Capucine, her dear friend who was a renowned Givenchy and Valentino model in the ’50s, would often visit,” Sean reminisces. “But mostly, it was our close-knit group: her mother, my grandmother who lived with us, my stepfather, my brother, and me. Christmas was always the time we all gathered together.”
In 1993, Givenchy arranged for Audrey and her partner, Robert Wolders, to fly from Los Angeles, where she was undergoing cancer treatment, back to Tolochenaz. This was so she could spend one last season at La Paisible. “Switzerland has harsh winters,” Luca explains. “One of my mother’s greatest joys was seeing her garden burst into bloom after a long, cold winter.”
