A fully renovated house with a 60m² floor area, a terrace and a
garage, tucked away down a calm alley in the heart of Avignon
garage, tucked away down a calm alley in the heart of Avignon
Avignon,
VAUCLUSE
provence-cote-dazur
84000
FR
Location
The dwelling lies in the city centre of Avignon. It is tucked away down a calm alley, close to many cultural sites, such as Avignon’s historical papal palace and its remarkable fine arts museum: Musée Calvet. The famous papal palace is not only the city’s beating heart for countless visitors, but also a venue for the world’s biggest theatre festival, the Festival d’Avignon, a major event when the number of people in this historical city increases fivefold in the space of a month. Renowned vineyards extend around Avignon, which is the capital of the Côtes du Rhône wine-growing region. The city is respectively 20 and 40 kilometres from the Alpilles and Luberon mountain ranges. It is 60 kilometres from the mountain Mont Ventoux and only a 55-minute drive from the Mediterranean Sea. You can walk to Avignon’s central train station in five minutes from the property. And the city’s high-speed rail station is just a 15-minute drive away.
Description
Traces of Avignon’s medieval past remain in its centre, despite all the changes made to this old city since the 14th century. This is especially so in Avignon’s ancient streets, some of which have been miraculously spared by the different architects that have redesigned the city over the course of its long story. The narrow road on which this dwelling stands is one of these ancient streets. This modest alley ran alongside the gardens of grand houses, one of which is now a remarkable museum. Basil was cultivated on this street when the plant was imported from the Indies in the 15th century. This trend gave the street its name. There a very few facades along the alley. Indeed, there are barely half a dozen houses here. Only tall stone walls enclosing vast private gardens are tokens of the past along this street. The small house, with its pale blue shutters, is framed between two of these tall stone walls. It has a ground floor, a first floor and a converted roof space. Though it has two upper floors, only one can be seen from the street. The building was probably once a stable, then a storehouse for horse-drawn vehicles. It used to stand at the end of the grounds of an imposing grand house, the enclosing wall of which it was built against. It is likely that this little dwelling was built in the late 19th century. Indeed, the door surround of the entrance bears the inscription ‘1881’. Its facade stands on the quiet alley. Its exposed stonework with pointing is typical of small Provençal homes. This facade is simple: there is just a garage door, an entrance door and two windows.
The house
The two doors and two windows that you can see from the street are fitted in surrounds of dressed limestone from a local quarry. These surrounds stand out from the facade’s more rustic exposed stone, also from a local quarry. The two first-floor windows are fitted with wooden shutters. The carriage door, of which the external metal runners remain, is now a wooden garage entrance. Above the first floor, there are two other front windows that can barely be seen from the street. Wooden eaves hang over them. They line the front of the converted roof space, behind a narrow continuous balcony. There is a little roof terrace at the back. This secret haven is enclosed with walls. Here, women would sunbathe to lighten their hair colour.
The ground floor
The wooden entrance door leads into a small hallway with a series of built-in cupboards that have wooden doors. Here a beautiful flight of stone stairs without a balustrade leads up to a space with glazed partitions on the first floor. These stairs are adorned with non-slip travertine tiles. On the left side of the hallway, a door leads into the garage. On the right side, a space serves as a storeroom and utility room. It has been cleverly designed with optimal use of space.
The first floor
The stairs lead up to a space with glazed partitions on the first floor. This glazed space connects to a larger space that forms the main room on this level. It is a lounge with smooth white walls. Beside it there is a long, narrow fitted kitchen that is brightened up by a skylight. Travertine tiles adorn the floors. The double-glazed windows are fitted with wooden shutters. A flight of teak-wood stairs without risers links the first floor to the second floor. Vertical steel rods form its balustrade.
The second floor
Two bedrooms with sloping attic ceilings and broad windows facing a continuous balcony beneath the eaves lie beside a bathroom, a lavatory and a corridor with built-in cupboards. This corridor leads to a roof terrace. Travertine tiles adorn the floors. The stone of the walls is from a local quarry. The roof terrace is enclosed with stone walls. The skylight that brightens up the kitchen lies at one end of it. Like the interior, the floor of this terrace is tiled.
Our opinion
This rare gem offers precious assets: an ideal city-centre spot, yet pleasant calm with no unwanted noise and a terrace that enjoys absolute privacy. This delightful haven is just a stone’s throw from shops, but it remains hidden, tucked away down a quaint alley in one of Avignon’s most highly sought-after areas that gives the old city a rural ambience. The dwelling has been masterfully restored and converted in a practical way. You can settle into it straight away without any renovation work needed. Nevertheless, with its 60m² floor area, the place would suit a single person or a young couple in particular. Yet the space here has been optimised and showcased marvellously. And there is still room for new developments: the vast 30m² garage could easily be turned into an extra living space if need be.
330 000 €
Fees at the Vendor’s expense
Reference 935755
| Land registry surface area | 48 m2 |
| Main building surface area | 59.36 m2 |
| Number of bedrooms | 2 |
| Outbuilding surface area | 30.20 m2 |
Aucune procédure en cours menée sur le fondement des articles 29-1 A et 29-1 de la loi n°65-557 du 10 juillet 1965 et de l’article L.615-6 du CCH
Share
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.
