An eighteenth-century Provençal house 15 minutes from Orange TGV station, in the historical county
of Venaissin with 2.4 hectares of wooded grounds and a view of Mount Ventoux
of Venaissin with 2.4 hectares of wooded grounds and a view of Mount Ventoux
Avignon,
VAUCLUSE
provence-cote-dazur
84000
FR
Location
To the north of Carpentras, near the town of Aubignan, in the midst of the old “Comtat Venaissin”, one of the Papal States which was founded in 1274 and dissolved in 1791. Looking out over the panoramic view of Mount Ventoux, extended by the detrital piedmont of the Dentelles-de-Montmirail mountain range, this land particularly favours vines, hence the many great wines classified AOC Ventoux and Côtes-du-Rhône. The very rich alluvial plain is still predominantly occupied by farming activities, notably the growing of olive trees and saffron.
25 minutes from Avignon (TGV train station and airport), 15 minutes from Orange (TGV train station), 10 minutes from Carpentras and 1½ hours from Marseille-Marignane airport.
Description
This property was once part of a vast, plain, farming estate, of which it still has 2.4 ha of land. The constructions stand on the north-east side of its land on a knoll, circumvented by a meander of the Carpentras canal, marking the northern limit.
The main entrance, leading to a courtyard, is provided by gates on the south-west side, facing the estate’s land. On the north-east side, a high wall, lined with unsquared surface limestone, encloses the courtyard; a little door in this perimeter wall makes it possible to reach an outstanding stand of oak trees, on the north slope, bordered by the canal.
The main building is a traditional Provençal country house, constructed at the end of the 18th century, even the beginning of the 19th century, probably on the foundations of an earlier construction, notably visible in the enclosed courtyard courtesy of the vestiges of old blocked up windows. It spans two levels and faces southwards over the courtyard. It is symmetrically and harmoniously composed and topped with a triple overhanging cornice, forming the eaves. Its lime-rendered walls feature aligned openings, framed with painted surrounds, enhanced with red edging. The north-east corner of the country house features a wide, drop arch, carriage door, topped with a virtually square opening, indicating a probable reconstruction of the country house’s east gable or a vestige of an earlier construction.
A square, single-storey pavilion, topped with a roof terrace, bears witness to an earlier building, possibly a 2-storey dovecote. Reached via steps on the west facade, it marks the southern limit of the country house. It is extended by a terraced area, supported by a dry-stone wall, containing a swimming pool that closes the courtyard.
And lastly, the parklands extend over the top of the open area to the south of the courtyard. Planted with Mediterranean species, notably convoluted pine trees, they still include some decoratively trimmed boxwood and a masonry well, topped with a local limestone dome.
The main entrance, leading to a courtyard, is provided by gates on the south-west side, facing the estate’s land. On the north-east side, a high wall, lined with unsquared surface limestone, encloses the courtyard; a little door in this perimeter wall makes it possible to reach an outstanding stand of oak trees, on the north slope, bordered by the canal.
The main building is a traditional Provençal country house, constructed at the end of the 18th century, even the beginning of the 19th century, probably on the foundations of an earlier construction, notably visible in the enclosed courtyard courtesy of the vestiges of old blocked up windows. It spans two levels and faces southwards over the courtyard. It is symmetrically and harmoniously composed and topped with a triple overhanging cornice, forming the eaves. Its lime-rendered walls feature aligned openings, framed with painted surrounds, enhanced with red edging. The north-east corner of the country house features a wide, drop arch, carriage door, topped with a virtually square opening, indicating a probable reconstruction of the country house’s east gable or a vestige of an earlier construction.
A square, single-storey pavilion, topped with a roof terrace, bears witness to an earlier building, possibly a 2-storey dovecote. Reached via steps on the west facade, it marks the southern limit of the country house. It is extended by a terraced area, supported by a dry-stone wall, containing a swimming pool that closes the courtyard.
And lastly, the parklands extend over the top of the open area to the south of the courtyard. Planted with Mediterranean species, notably convoluted pine trees, they still include some decoratively trimmed boxwood and a masonry well, topped with a local limestone dome.
The traditional Provençal country house
The courtyard gives access to an entrance vestibule, housing the stairway that leads to the upstairs of this traditional country house.
Spanning a total of approx. 450 m² of living space, the building comprises twelve main rooms and miscellaneous other rooms. Their interior organisation follows two separate layouts, marked by an east-west alignment of impressive sculpted stone pillars. Nine in number and approx. 3.5 m in height, they undeniably form the particularity of this traditional country house. All different, they integrate some reused features, with diverse contours and outlines (frieze, pediment fragments and even column bodies). In addition to their ceiling support function and with their ancient Roman appearance, they create a very spectacular and unexpected decorative feature in this somewhat refined country house.
The ground floor
On the left of the vestibule, the nine impressive pillars have made it possible to create a vast living room, illuminated from the south, west and north sides. Beyond the stairway, the layout follows a more complex division, with a succession of rooms along the south facade: the old dining room precedes a kitchen and, along a corridor laid out at right angles to the stairway against the north facade, a laundry room, a boiler room and a separate toilet, ending finally in an area housing a garage on the east gable.
The first floor
The landing on the second level gives access to a succession of rooms, roughly following the same layout as that on the ground floor. Above the vast living room, a suite communicating with a study, with a view over the Dentelles-de-Montmirail mountain range, comprises a bathroom and a bedroom. On the right-hand side of the landing, a 15-metre-long corridor leads, on the south side, to five bedrooms as well as a dressing room and, on the north side, to a bedroom and two bathrooms, all ending with a storage room under the rafters.
The pavilion outbuilding
Separated from the main building by the courtyard and standing on the eastern limit of the enclosed area, the pavilion, constructed from small, regular pieces of stone very different from the smooth rendering of the country house, contrasts with the latter. It spans a single level which comprises a vast room, with a high, barrel-vaulted ceiling and a fireplace built against an interior wall. A few outside steps, vestiges of a flight no longer in existence and leading to an upstairs transformed into a terrace, evoke the idea that it was once a dovecote.
Featuring windows as well as French windows opening on to the courtyard and facing the terraced area containing the 11x5 m swimming pool, it is currently used as a summer lounge, besides housing the pool machinery.
It spans a surface area of approx. 50 m².
The parklands
With extensive shade, despite facing south-east-south-west, the parklands look out over a view worthy of Virgil, with fields of olive trees and orchards, intermingled in the meanders of the Carpentras canal, with Mount Ventoux and the Dentelles-de-Montmirail mountain range in sight. Tranquillity is assured.
An outstanding three-hundred-year-old oak tree, providing protective shade, constitutes the epicentre of the parklands. A large diversity of pine trees is very poetically intertwined courtesy of their knotted, leaning forms, fashioned by the insistent force of the contrary winds; some, almost laying on the ground, turn back on themselves, disappearing in circumvolutions, bringing Japanese calligraphy to mind.
And lastly, a masonry well, now dry, was constructed to resemble a “borie” (dry-stone shepherd’s hut).
Our opinion
The proximity of the Dentelles-de-Montmirail mountain range and Mount Ventoux, two particularly popular destinations which can be directly observed from the parklands, constitutes an undeniable asset for the property. The remote and protected location of this traditional country house, the absolute tranquillity and the timeless beauty of its rustic setting, the calligraphic circumvolutions of the pine trees in its parklands as well as the quality of its external and internal architecture bestow these premises with an undeniably outstanding character.
Residents could think themselves on a hill in Rome or in a remote village in Umbria or Chianti, they are, nevertheless, here in the heart of the eternal and still unspoilt Provence.
1 600 000 €
Fees at the Vendor’s expense
Reference 922237
| Land registry surface area | 2 ha 47 a 74 ca |
| Main building surface area | 430 m2 |
| Number of bedrooms | 6 |
| Outbuilding surface area | 50 m2 |
| including refurbished area | 51 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
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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.
