A 41-hectare estate in the Vaucluse on the Albion Plateau,
with a fortified farmhouse, distillery and outbuildings surrounded by lavender fields
with a fortified farmhouse, distillery and outbuildings surrounded by lavender fields
Sault,
VAUCLUSE
provence-cote-dazur
84390
FR
Location
This estate is located on the north-east slope of the Mont Ventoux natural park, near to the hilltop villages of Sault, Aurel and Simiane la Rotonde, deep in the winding landscape of the Albion Plateau, where lavender blooms as far as the eye can see, headily perfuming the air, in a region renowned worldwide for its stupendous relief, rocky energy and landscapes on the edges of Giono’s and Pagnol’s wild Provence.
An immense aquifer can be found here, stretching from the Montagne de la Lure to the Mont Ventoux, at the middle of a limestone plateau, dotted with more than two hundred potholes and espeically renowned for a famous karst spring: the Fontaine de Vaucluse.
It is sheltered from modern nuisances, but at an ideal distance from services and major traffic routes such as Avignon's high-speed TGV railway station or Marseille-Provence international airport, both less than 90 minutes away by car.
Description
It is probably one Provence’s wildest areas that still exists. Comprised of high plateaux dotted with scarcely half a dozen villages, which are often sparsely populated fortified settlements, these Virgilian landscapes, inhabited by goats and sheep, have retained their natural and agricultural character of yesteryear.
The area, which straddles the southern part of the Drôme area and Vaucluse area, has enjoyed enhanced protection for several decades now thanks to the creation of two major regional nature parks: Mont Ventoux and Luberon.
Traditionally, these plateaux were home to four main types of houses: in the villages there were houses of several storeys with balconies, whereas outside the villages there were either long, low-rise buildings, houses with outbuildings grouped around a courtyard, or very isolated, fortified farms with courtyards, corner towers and dovecotes.
However, this categorisation was not set in stone and it was not uncommon to slip from one style to the next, adapting the constructions them to suit the needs at the time.
This is precisely the case with this Provence farmhouse, which borrows a little from each tyoe, with a balcony, corner tower and courtyard, set out like a hamlet made up of a farmhouse, lavender distillery and fortified outbuildings, softened by the presence away from the buildings of a large, inviting swimming pool.
The area, which straddles the southern part of the Drôme area and Vaucluse area, has enjoyed enhanced protection for several decades now thanks to the creation of two major regional nature parks: Mont Ventoux and Luberon.
Traditionally, these plateaux were home to four main types of houses: in the villages there were houses of several storeys with balconies, whereas outside the villages there were either long, low-rise buildings, houses with outbuildings grouped around a courtyard, or very isolated, fortified farms with courtyards, corner towers and dovecotes.
However, this categorisation was not set in stone and it was not uncommon to slip from one style to the next, adapting the constructions them to suit the needs at the time.
This is precisely the case with this Provence farmhouse, which borrows a little from each tyoe, with a balcony, corner tower and courtyard, set out like a hamlet made up of a farmhouse, lavender distillery and fortified outbuildings, softened by the presence away from the buildings of a large, inviting swimming pool.
The farmhouse
The farmhouse, facing south and west, with its northern façade facing the fury of the Mistral, can be reached at the end of a lane on the northern side of a forest, on leaving the neighbouring village. The main entrance leading up to the carriage gate is now car-free and has been replaced by a driveway leading to the top of the mound against which the farmhouse stands.
It is made up of two groups of buildings, one edifice to the north set against the mound with three storeys, and the other to the south, beyond the inner courtyard, forming an elongated construction stretching from west to east overlooking the lavender fields below.
The first building is topped at the western corner by an old dovecote forming a square tower overlooking the rooftops. The main entrance today is formed at ground level by a modern Baltard-style conservatory.
The property gives an overall impression of several dwellings grouped around a courtyard. The overall design is simple, in keeping with the style of rural houses in Provence. The irregularly coursed façades of jointed exposed stone from the Luberon quarries are in constant dialogue with the slope on which they are built.
The roofs made of old half-round tiles, which form a motley mosaic typical of such varied dwellings, are bordered at certain points by a Genoise corbel. The farmhouse has been carefully restored, with solid oak door lintels, exterior stone staircases marked by centuries of use, low dry-stone walls, a borie-style well, sash-barred windows and olive green coloured wooden shutters.
The ground floor
The reorganisation of the farmhouse with the new entrance to the north at the upper level places the ground floor at the top of the house. The entrance via the modern conservatory leads to the main stairwell, which is flooded with light through a terrace in the roof, as well as two observation rooms in the dovecote. Three bedrooms, each with a shower room, can be reached directly from the outside. The house is architecturally designed to give omnipresence to light, while the choice of materials has been made to present a predominant uniformity: the floors are tiled with grey stone from the Montagne de Lure quarries; the walls and ceilings are whitewashed; the interior doors are all made of natural oak; the windows are sash-barred and small paned; the shutters are in traditional double-leaf Provence style, painted in green.
The mezzanine floor
You can reach this level either via the stairwell at the heart of the main building, or via the courtyard to the south, as well as directly from outside from the east and west. It is made up of living rooms and bedrooms. To the west, it has a pleasant patio covered by a pergola. In the secondary building to the south, the north-west corner is occupied by two bedrooms which you can reach via an outside staircase from the courtyard. Because the buildings have been built on an incline and due to the difference in levels, as a whole, there is an impression of architectural variety, with the same sober ambiance and exactly the same materials as in the rest of the farmhouse.
The street-level floor
You can reach this level via the former driveway into the farmhouse protected by two large carriage gates on either side of the courtyard. This level is the heart of the former farm. It served as a farmyard but is now pleasantly paved and shaded from the midday sun. The main section contains living rooms and other semi-underground rooms used as storerooms, while the secondary section is made up of a series of bedrooms, each with an en suite shower room. The Spartan taste observed in the other parts of the farmhouse is evident here, with natural lime used as the only coating for the walls, accentuating the resolutely Mediterranean character of the place.
The garden-level floor
This lowest level of the property can be reached from the outside of the farmhouse. Entirely south-facing and bathed in light, it overlooks the lavender fields that spread out just below and includes three extra bedrooms, each with a shower room and separate access.
The outbuildings
Set at the top of the mound, forming a sort of oppidum in the heart of a wooded valley, several annexes stand discreetly alongside the farmhouse: an elegant lodge with windows facing north, south, east and west, a gazebo overlooking the valley, a modern swimming pool requiring renovation and a distillery.
The pavilion
This single-storey outbuilding with a pavilion roof contains a single room, which is flooded with light from small paned sash-barred windows. It is ideal for both observation and contemplation, in a sheltered, wooded setting.
The belvedere
The gazebo, a simple canopy topped by a pavilion roof, is situated slightly below the mound and has an unobstructed view of the valley to the north.
The swimming pool
The rectangular swimming pool with truncated corners and surrounded by a flagstone deck is installed halfway between the farmhouse and its outbuildings. The pool is fitted with a liner. It is well exposed to sunlight throughout the day.
The garden shed
Near the farmhouse, a simple awning houses the distillery. On these plateaux, where lavender is traditionally grown, it is not unusual to find distilleries between the farmhouse and the fields. Often a simple hangar, the distillery has a sole purpose: to be as close as possible to the lavender fields. Here in the dell, the lavender blooms at leisure.
The forest estate and lavender fields
The land is made up of an unsegmented 41-hectare expanse of rolling coppices and lavender fields. The woods boast of a mixture of endemic trees such as pubescent oaks, Sessile oaks, beech, aspen, ling heather and common broom, among others.
The preservation of nature in this part of Provence has allowed a considerable variety of wildlife to find sanctuary here: deer, large diurnal and nocturnal birds of prey, as well as a wealth of other birds inhabit the surrounding woods, including little bustards, which are large and very shy birds that live solely in the shelter of tall grass and uncultivated areas. There is enough of such land here to keep them happy.
Our opinion
It is a place whose energy and appeal can be immediately sensed on arrival. The expanse, in all directions, of untouched landscape, the exceptional quality of the air, the total absence of disturbances and noise other than the cries of Bonelli's eagles, masters of the air and surrounding peaks, make this a privileged, even ideal, place to recharge your batteries.
Such an environment that is so rare in the midst of today's omnipresent hustle and bustle is an ideal location for organising nature immersion seminars or meditation retreats. A hotel in the guise of an ultra-modern hermitage could also set up business here. Unless it becomes the home to wise old eccentrics, who could cultivate their inner calm as well as their garden, in the great expanse and generosity of the surrounding nature which is king.
Reference 831393
| Land registry surface area | 41 ha 92 a 6 ca |
| Main building surface area | 433 m2 |
| Number of bedrooms | 15 |
| Outbuilding surface area | 80 m2 |
| including refurbished area | 80 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.
