In 2017, George Lucas bought a 115-hectare French château; he later restored its historic buildings, vineyards, olive groves and surrounding forest

In 2017, filmmaker George Lucas acquired Château Margüi, a 115-hectare estate in the Var region of Provence, France, adding it to a small collection of properties tied to his Skywalker Vineyards brand. The estate's roots stretch back roughly 2,600 years, when Gallo-Romans first cultivated these very lands near the Argens River, growing wheat, oil, wine, fruits and vegetables on soil fed by many natural springs. The main house, known as the Bastide, was built in 1784 in the traditional style of Aix bastides, featuring a whitewashed facade spanning 600 square metres and 3 floors overlooking a formal French garden below. After decades of change in ownership, including a period of decline during the First World War, the property was bought in 1999, and its vineyards replanted, before Lucas eventually took over and continued restoring its historic buildings, vineyards, olive groves and surrounding forest back to their earlier character.The ancient origins and 18th-century buildings at Château MargüiEvidence of the estate's earliest days emerged in 2002, when archaeologists uncovered remains and amphoras confirming that Gallo-Roman farmers had worked this land beside the Argens River long before written records began. As described in History and estate, the Domaine de Margüi was later run by a family from Aix-en-Provence through the 17th century, before the main Bastide was raised in 1784, complete with a grand staircase leading up to the house and a French garden laid out in front. Additional structures built during this period, including a silk workshop, a sheep pen and a pigeon loft, reflected the working rhythms of a grand Provençal agricultural estate rather than a purely decorative country retreat.Why the estate declined before its 20th century revivalThe First World War brought hardship to Château Margüi, as a shortage of labour combined with a damaging fire left the property weakened for years afterwards. Fortunes turned in the 1920s and 1930s, when melons, apricots, almonds, wheat, grapes and olives once again flourished across the land, echoing the prosperity of centuries past. That golden period eventually faded, and the estate passed through further changes until 1999, when its heiress sold the property to Marie Christine and Philippe Guillanton, who set about relaunching wine production. From the year 2000 onward, they replanted the vineyards, renovated the historic Bastide and added a chapel against its western facade, laying the groundwork for the estate Lucas would later acquire.How George Lucas restored Château Margüi after joining Skywalker VineyardsWhen Château Margüi joined the Skywalker Vineyards collection in 2017, it took its place alongside Lucas's other properties in Marin County, California, and Passignano sul Trasimeno in Italy, all chosen partly for landscapes that echo one another's natural beauty. As detailed in Chateau detail, the estate today comprises 15 hectares of vineyards, 5 hectares of olive trees and 65 hectares of forest, home to century-old conifers and a range of tree species. Under Lucas's direction, restoration work has prioritised Provençal authenticity, transforming historic outbuildings such as the Magnanerie into entertainment spaces while converting other structures into guest suites, a pool house and a clubhouse, all while preserving the essential character of an estate whose story began nearly 3,000 years ago.Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.