On the Barthelasse island, a 16th century hunting lodge
and its numerous outbuildings set in 2.2 hectares of woodlands
and its numerous outbuildings set in 2.2 hectares of woodlands
Avignon,
VAUCLUSE
provence-cote-dazur
84000
FR
Location
The Barthelasse island in Avignon is both a green lung and a fruit orchard. Once a fiercely contested link between the Kingdom of France and the Holy Roman Empire, at the time connected by the famous "Pont d'Avignon", the island is today a haven of tranquillity and a green paradise, highly protected and much appreciated by the people of Avignon as well as by a recent American president and his family who chose it as their summer residence a few years ago.
A 15-minute walk or 5-minute bike ride from the city centre of Avignon, a 15-minute drive from Avignon TGV station, 20 minutes from Avignon-Provence business airport, 45 minutes from Nîmes-Garons airport, and 1 hour from Marseille-Provence and Montpellier-Mediterranean airports, Europe's largest river island has managed to preserve its links to the continent and develop new ones, along modern lines.
Description
In an estate of 2.2 hectares, the hunting lodge, its mazets (small country cottages), its farmhouse, its winery and its Romani wagon are situated in the northern part of the island, sheltered by a forest of various local species. The visitor will hardly realise that he is in a district of Avignon, as the feeling of countryside is predominant in this island enclave.
A discreet electric gate gives access to the estate.
A central stone fountain adorns the first large terrace of the garden, and four mulberry trees stand in the extension of the main gate of the hunting lodge.
Oriented from east to west, the one-storey building has perfect proportions, emphasised by a regular double stone structure, with in-and-out bonded tiles and headers, partially covered with Virginia creeper. The old Roman tile roof juts out over a rusticated eaves closure. The southern facade bears the typical imprint of a medieval building redesigned in the Maurist style of the late 17th century, with a concern for symmetry and bright spaces open to the surrounding countryside.
Four small country cottages called "mazets” are also located in the park. They date from the 1960s, when they were built to house the engineers of the hydraulic dams protecting Avignon from the floods of the Rhône. The engineers have left but their houses remain, providing independent lodgings.
To the right of the entrance to the property, an old renovated farmhouse is the home of the current owners of the estate. A partially fitted out winery is an extension of this dwelling. A rehabilitated Romani wagon, a souvenir of nomadic wanderings, awaits its next tenants in a grove. Some old barns remain, here and there, with potential for development.
A discreet electric gate gives access to the estate.
A central stone fountain adorns the first large terrace of the garden, and four mulberry trees stand in the extension of the main gate of the hunting lodge.
Oriented from east to west, the one-storey building has perfect proportions, emphasised by a regular double stone structure, with in-and-out bonded tiles and headers, partially covered with Virginia creeper. The old Roman tile roof juts out over a rusticated eaves closure. The southern facade bears the typical imprint of a medieval building redesigned in the Maurist style of the late 17th century, with a concern for symmetry and bright spaces open to the surrounding countryside.
Four small country cottages called "mazets” are also located in the park. They date from the 1960s, when they were built to house the engineers of the hydraulic dams protecting Avignon from the floods of the Rhône. The engineers have left but their houses remain, providing independent lodgings.
To the right of the entrance to the property, an old renovated farmhouse is the home of the current owners of the estate. A partially fitted out winery is an extension of this dwelling. A rehabilitated Romani wagon, a souvenir of nomadic wanderings, awaits its next tenants in a grove. Some old barns remain, here and there, with potential for development.
The hunting lodge
Built of stone from the nearby Roquemaure quarry, it was erected in 1548 by a Marrano scholar fleeing the Spanish Inquisition to place himself under papal protection. The estate bears his name and the statue in the niche above the entrance door is still a reminder of its history.
The interior has retained almost all of its original architecture except the openings. The 18th century loved light, hence the small-paned high windows; but now they are protected by double cross-slatted shutters, vertically on one side and horizontally on the other, in order to obtain a completely new level of insulation. The building recovered its initial function as a rural residence, originally for the papacy, when it was converted into a guest house at the turn of the 21st century.
The ground floor
The lodge has been restored in keeping with its delicate proportions. The carved oak door with two sections opens into a highly vaulted hallway. On each side, two lateral arched openings reveal a dining room with its 18th century fireplace ornamented with stucco mouldings and a reading room around a Renaissance fireplace. The regular structure of the carefully assembled dry-stone walls conveys the building an immediately perceptible nobility. The flight of stairs, with steps carved out by use over many centuries, lies in the exact extension of the hallway. It features a banister adorned with wave and straight bar decors, characteristic of 18th century Provencal ironwork. Finally, a studio flat fitted out in the annex and a comfortable independent flat with sitting room, dining room, kitchen, two bedrooms and bathroom facilities frame this architectural rural jewel on either side.
The first floor
Served by a Barbentane stone staircase, five air-conditioned bedrooms with their bathroom share the floor and the view of the park and the estate. All of them have been restored with care, imagination and taste, and with the highest standards of comfort, offering the most poetic and appealing aspects of Provence. They are each named after a character whose life is linked to the history of Avignon, from Camille Claudel to Jean Vilar, not forgetting Saint Bénézet. Large windows opening with espagnolette locks; whitewashed walls for some rooms or pastel-coloured finishings emphasising the panelling for others; and, for almost all of them, a meticulously preserved original alcove. On the floor, a beautiful collection of parquet strips regularly scrubbed with black soap, varnished or waxed, in a wide range of warm tones.
The mazets
There are four of them, located in the park of the estate, near the swimming pool and at a good distance from each other. These cubic huts, left in 1960 by the engineers of the Rhône dams, are small rural shelters in the image of those that used to stand in the open fields. Painted with brightly coloured renderings, they bring to mind the works of the Mexican architect Luis Barragán.
Each of them offers about 35 m² and is equipped for a couple, with a bedroom, a view of the park, a small kitchen, a shower room, wifi access and air conditioning. They all bear the evocative name of a place in the region: "Camargue" for the green mazet, "Ventoux" for the red one, "Luberon" for the blue one and "Secret garden" for the white one, the most spacious of all with its 60 m².
The farmhouse
Standing at the entrance to the estate but very well hidden from view by the current owners who live there permanently, what probably used to be the former tenant's house has recently been restored with the same refined taste and attention to detail as the rest of the estate. Preserving its original external appearance under a foliage of Virginia creeper with large windows, it hides an interior fitted out according to contemporary designs: generous volumes, waxed concrete, old wood, soft shapes, muted colours, resolutely modern furniture and a wood-burning stove humming through the house, all of which contrast with the exterior aspect. To complete its independence, a private garden of approximately 1,500 m², subtly partitioned from the park, frames the house.
The ground floor
Fitted out like a workshop, it forms a space without partition with an open kitchen and a vast living room soberly separated by a contemporary staircase.
The first floor
The bedroom floor allows a view over the garden and the countryside on the horizon, without being disturbed by the mazets, the pool or the Romani wagon. A future occupier could consider extending this floor to gain more space.
The winery
This bears witness to an intense wine-growing activity dating back to the beginning of the 19th century, and although it is no longer used for those purposes today, it has retained its high stonework vats inside the building. Still intact, they take up about half of the surface area of the complex and await the master builder who will be able to highlight the aesthetic value of their singular industrial architecture.
In the northern part of the building, which does not house the impressive professional vats, an additional independent flat has been created, giving the estate a particularly large accommodation capacity.
The ground floor
In the part converted into a three-bedroom flat, one of which is a mezzanine, the ceiling height is approximately 2.60 m.
The Romani wagon
This was a special commission from the current owners of the estate, inspired by the traditional "Romani" campsites and the vivid memory in this part of southern France of the sacred pilgrimage to Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, located an hour away. It is painted green and purple on the outside. Obviously Romani-inspired, the interior is a rainbow of bright colours: pink, lavender blue, canary yellow and purple.
This small nomadic house of about 20 m² offers a view of the park near the swimming pool but could easily be moved to another location. Reversible air-conditioning, mini kitchen, bathroom with shower and toilet, terrace of about 7 m², wifi access and CD-radio player make it a more urban nomadic experience.
The park
Its many assets include its insular location, its size of 2.2 hectares and the great tranquillity provided by its groves. This is an English-style landscaped park, planted with varieties of local trees and flowers. At nightfall, a dozen of the large trees are lit up, as well as many other exterior spaces around the farmhouse. The park is protected against wild boars by an electric fence, as there are still many wild pigs on the island.
It includes a play area that is unoverlooked from the mazets and includes a petanque court, a badminton court and several ping-pong tables. Three parking areas, one of which is under video surveillance, are set back from the main house and provide parking space for fifteen vehicles. Finally, a closed utility room of about 50 m² houses ten bicycles for hire, a mode of transport now favoured on the island of Barthelasse.
Our opinion
Owning property on the island of Barthelasse was a privilege long reserved for the pontifical aristocracy. Times have changed. Today, the privilege is granted to the lucky owners of guest houses where prestigious personalities are delighted to come and stay with their families.
Thus this hunting lodge, with its architecture, its history and its position, is no exception to the rule: a clientele of regulars comes and returns year after year, happy to find the unchanging calm and the comforting beauty. The development of the numerous outbuildings into completely independent accommodation is one of the great successes of the current managers. In view of the diversity and availability of buildings, there are still promising development opportunities waiting for candidates to come forward.
2 550 000 €
Fees at the Vendor’s expense
Reference 675578
| Land registry surface area | 2 ha 20 a |
| Main building surface area | 420 m2 |
| Number of bedrooms | 15 |
| Outbuilding surface area | 460 m2 |
| including refurbished area | 340 m2 |
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NB: The above information is not only the result of our visit to the property; it is also based on information provided by the current owner. It is by no means comprehensive or strictly accurate especially where surface areas and construction dates are concerned. We cannot, therefore, be held liable for any misrepresentation.
