At the foot of the Esterel mountains, on the outskirts of Grasse, behind a tall fence stands a white house with blue shutters. The shutters are always closed, indicating that the owners have not lived here for a long time. In the past, the famous writer Ivan Bunin, a Nobel Prize laureate, lived here. The Villa 'Belvedere' was to his liking. It was here that he created the well-known prose cycle 'Dark Alleys.' The low mountains around are covered with olive trees, shrubs, and vineyards. The courtyard of the villa resembles the bow of a yacht or the bridge of a ship, from where there is a view of the old town with the towers of basilicas, as well as the endless expanses up to the distant peaks of Esterel, shrouded in clouds. On the horizon, the bright blue sea appears like a lens in the mist of fog.

It was here that the news of Bunin being awarded the Nobel Prize arrived, which meant not only global recognition but also significant material changes in his life, 715 thousand francs, which was a huge amount at that time.

It is not possible to enter the courtyard or the building. A plaque with the name G.N. Simonov and his titles hangs on the mailbox. He purchased this house and plans to open a museum of I.A. Bunin in one of its wings, but this has not yet happened.