George and Amal Clooney Move to France: Inside Their $8.3 Million Estate Near Brad Pitt’s Home
Amal Clooney had her hands full. Walking alongside husband George Clooney through the streets of Cotignac, a picturesque village in southeastern France, the human rights attorney bent down to pick up and carry her new puppy, Nelson, as the playful young Saint Bernard struggled with learning to walk on a leash. While exploring the little town with their furball, Amal and George also checked out an art exhibition and enjoyed a meal at Picotte restaurant.
But the couple weren’t on vacation. The village, it turns out, is just minutes away from the stunning estate the Clooneys now call home. “George and Amal are thrilled with their decision to relocate to France,” says a source, confirming that in recent months, the Lebanon-born British barrister, 46, and the Oscar-winning American actor-producer, 62, have settled in with their 6-year-old twins, Alexander and Ella, at Domaine du Canadel, a sprawling 18th-century property in France’s Provence region that they purchased for a reported $8.3 million in 2021. “It’s a beautiful setting and completely private, which is what the Clooneys were looking for. It’s a fresh start for their family.”
That’s something Amal wanted. “She was quite adamant about the move and had been suggesting it for years,” says the source. “She felt their home on Lake Como [in Italy] was too exposed, and she didn’t want the children going to school in L.A. or England.” It helps that the kids were well prepared: In 2022, George proudly revealed that Alexander and Ella are fluent in Italian and French! Amal also speaks French.
Real Estate Empire
However, the Clooneys haven’t said au revoir to their other homes entirely. “They still have properties all over,” including their villa in Italy, George’s former bachelor pad in L.A., a NYC apartment, and an estate on the banks of the Thames River outside London. “But they’re making France their home base now.”
Their magnificent 25-room mansion on the shores of Italy’s Lake Como — where they met at a dinner party George hosted in the summer of 2013 — was their previous base on the European mainland. As an insider told In Touch in 2023, one of the drawbacks of living on Lake Como was how there wasn’t much of an extended community there, which meant that almost all of the Clooneys’ social life revolved around their home and hosting guests.
“In Provence, they have neighbors and friends they can interact with,” says the insider. “There’s much more of a community feeling.”
That doesn’t mean they won’t continue to welcome their Hollywood pals. In fact, says the source, the couple are looking forward to throwing dinner parties for A-list friends including Julia Roberts and Danny Moder, Rande Gerber and Cindy Crawford, and Brad Pitt and girlfriend Ines de Ramon. Brad lives nearby, “so he’s given advice on the best little towns to visit and romantic restaurants to try on date nights, places where they can go ‘undercover’ and won’t be bothered, even if their famous pals tag along.”
All the Extras
Although they may never want to leave home. There’s a 25-acre vineyard, a pool, a tennis court, a boules pitch and lush gardens — perfect for their new puppy and the kids.
“George and Amal’s lifestyle has really changed since the move,” says the source, noting that the Clooneys spend more time outdoors now. And when they venture into nearby villages, “they’re able to walk around town virtually unnoticed. They feel safe there.” And blissfully happy. “While George was hesitant about the move at first — he’s always adored his home on Lake Como — he’s come to love France,” says the source, adding that George also has more time to spend there now that he’s once again decided to step away from Hollywood.
As he admitted a few years ago, after taking a break from acting from 2016 to 2020, the roles he’s presented with just aren’t getting him excited like they used to. Though he’s still producing and will return to the big screen at some point, right now he and Amal “like exploring new places and frequently visit different areas of the countryside. They’re really carving out an idyllic life together in France.”
Brad Pitt Is Their Neighbor
Location, location, location. The Clooneys’ property is just a half-hour drive from Chateau Miraval, the 1,200-acre estate and winery run by Brad Pitt, 60. (A-listers Bono, Elton John, the Beckhams and Johnny Depp are also in the vicinity.)
Brad’s passion for farming the land might be rubbing off on his old friend and frequent costar. According to an insider, “a wine business isn’t out of the question” for George, who in 2017 sold the Casamigos tequila brand he coowned with two pals for a reported billion dollars.
