This late 18th century house stands between two different streets, not far from the historic centre of the village. The large fountain, its surrounding basin and the washery on the main square, all of which are classed as historical monuments, are from the same era.
The building is attached to the neighbouring houses on either side and has two façades, one to the west and the other to the east. Each façade overlooks a street but at a different level, giving the house its unique character. This stone-built house was erected around 1765 and is said to have belonged to the Villeneuve family, a member of which was an illustrious admiral who served under Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte.
It is topped by a gabled tiled roof and has six storeys, two of which are below one of the street levels.
The main entrance, on the western façade, is in a peaceful street, only a few steps from the village square, which is very lively in summer, with shops selling specialities of Provence and restaurants. In the façade, there is a carved solid wood door, which still has its original lock, adorned with a knocker. Above the door, there is a fanlight window decorated with ironwork bearing the Villeneuve monogram. Over the ironwork, a heart adorned with a fleur-de-lys engraved in the arch of the stone framing completes the ensemble. The house still has its original rendering on the main entrance side.

The house

The ground floor
The entrance door opens onto a large lobby, which houses a central double quarter-turn staircase with traditional terracotta tiled steps. It occupies the entire height of the room and boasts an imposing wrought-iron balustrade.
In the left-hand corner of the entrance, an old window facing the street has a bow arched frame and is fitted with fruitwood shutters. It is next to a hand-wash basin, indicating the presence of a toilet nearby.
On the other side, a corridor extends from the lobby, leading behind the ground floor stairs to a lounge. The stand-out features in this room are its terracotta floor tiles and white marble fireplace. Two large paned windows, with wooden shutters fitted with catches open towards the surrounding hills. A balcony with a balustrade made up of wrought iron spirals runs the full width of the eastern façade.
The first floor
Like the level below and the storey above, its surface is approximately 40 m². The first and second floors house bedrooms, and the rooms are laid out identically, with a large bedroom with unobstructed views on the garden side that possesses an en suite shower room, followed on the other side of the landing by a smaller bedroom with a view over the rooftops and the old fortifications of the village. The only difference between the two levels is that an independent suite has been created on the first floor. It is made up of a bedroom, shower room and toilet.
The second floor
In addition to a shower room, the large bedroom on this storey is equipped with a modestly sized wardrobe. On the other side of the landing there is a smaller bedroom that could be used as a spare room. The floors of the two bedrooms are paved with terracotta tiles.
The third floor
From the landing on the previous level, the wrought iron scrolls of the staircase banister give way to more rustic wooden balusters, while the steps leading to the top floor, whose landing is lit by a skylight, are paved with the same terracotta tiles as when the house was built. An old painted wooden door marks the junction between a terrace in the canal-tiled roof and a summer kitchen on the other side of the landing
A suspended wrought-iron arbour crowns the roof-tiled terrace, from which the mountains under the region’s often blue skies can be seen.
Lower Level 1
You can reach the main kitchen, which opens into a dining room, from the ground floor by descending the stairs to the basement.
The dining area is bathed in light through two windows, one of which has a guard-rail, that offer views of the hills.
This level is completed by a utility room and a cellar, where the thickness of the walls creates a pleasant feeling of coolness.
Lower Level 2
The staircase leads to a double cellar into which light floods through a basement window, with the boiler room on one side. A door leads out onto the road, making it much easier to unload luggage or shopping, and also makes it easy to get away for a bike ride. On the other side, in the vaulted cellar, there is the opening of an old well.