An 18th century manor house with a shaded garden, surrounded by nature,
on the outskirts of a village perched on the eastern flanks of the Luberon Mountains
on the outskirts of a village perched on the eastern flanks of the Luberon Mountains
Manosque,
ALPES-DE-HAUTE-PROVENCE
provence-cote-dazur
04100
FR
Location
The Luberon Mountains, an emblematic range in Provence, stretch from west to east over almost 60 kilometres, from the Vaucluse Mountains to the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. The gentler and undulating eastern part that extends to the River Durance is dotted with hilltop villages along country roads running from Avignon to Forcalquier. Manosque is the largest municipality in this territory and is somewhat of a hub, with many infrastructures and direct access to the A51 motorway to Aix-en-Provence and Marseille. The property, an 18th-century country house, is located in a village full of character, far from any hustle and bustle and surrounded by greenery.
Description
This country house solemnly and imposingly looms into view at the end of a winding earthen track through the fields from the main road between Apt and Forcalquier, tucked away at the bottom of the Luberon Mountains’ foothills. In bygone days, it was an integral part of a huge farming estate, spread around three buildings, including the main farmhouse, a short way away. The four-storey manor house faces due south. The property is surrounded by arable land that gently slopes down over three terraces to a river below. It was split from the rest of the estate during the second half of the 20th century, when the diocese of Marseille purchased it to set up a holiday centre for families. An outbuilding with a covered patio looking onto an olive grove that follows the same alignment as the main residence dates from this era in all likelihood.
The manor house
This rectangular, symmetrical, stone-built and lime-rendered edifice is faithful to the architecture of late 18th-century country houses. The main entrance on the garden level has a double entrance hall, bordered by English rose bushes and lavender. Two upper floors are denoted by belt courses on the façade and are topped by a further level that was previously reserved for the personnel’s bedrooms. The strictly balanced south and north façades are punctuated by an identical number of windows, fitted with wooden shutters on the southern façade. On the sides of the buildings, there is also a strict layout of windows: a single one on the second floor and two smaller ones on the attic level. An extra window has been added on the ground floor to provide easier access to the garden without passing through the entrance door. The first three levels boast impressive ceiling heights and a triple genoise corbel signals the floor of the attic level, beneath a gabled roof made of half-round tiles.
The garden-level floor
The main entrance door is in solid wood, topped by a fanlight window through which light streams. A first, smaller hall with a small-paned double-leaf glazed door separates the exterior from the second, larger entrance hall. Inside, on either side, there are two large, dual-aspect rooms. One of them includes a large dining area that merges into the kitchen, with a doorway carved out of the thick wall that opens onto the garden. On the other side of the entrance hall, a south-facing lounge blends into a dining room to the north. All the flooring is paved with terracotta tiles, whose warm hues strike a fine contrast with the white walls and exposed beams on the ceiling. Only the southwestern wall of the lounge boasts exposed stonework and a wood-burning stove has replaced the original fireplace, while the extractor hood in the kitchen is in the style of typical Provence fireplaces. At the rear of the entrance hall, a guests’ lavatory is located beneath the main, double quarter-turn staircase, paved with terracotta tiles and fitted with wooden bullnoses, leading to the upper floors.
The first floor
On each intermediate level of the staircase, there are lavatories. The main landing leads to three bedrooms with generous volumes. Two can be found to the south, either side of the hall, one of which has an en suite bathroom, while the third bedroom is to the north, as well as a shared shower room. On this level, there is wood stripped flooring throughout, double glazed windows and exposed beams on the ceilings.
The second floor
The rooms boast generous dimensions on this floor, as on the level below, and have the original doors. On either side of the central landing, there are three bedrooms. One of them is especially large, with a view of the garden, walk-in wardrobe and en suite shower room. On the opposite side, a bedroom with an en suite bathroom could be ideal for guests, while another smaller one, with unbeatable views of the Luberon and setting sun, could be converted into an office. On this level below the attic space, the thickness of the walls and double glazing ensure the rooms stay cool during the summer.
The attic
The staircase paved with hexagonal terracotta tiles leads to the top level, where the rooms with sloping ceilings are all awaiting a full conversion. There is space for four extra bedrooms.
The garden
The garden is divided into four terraces separated by dry stone walls and a row of cypress treets. It stretches in front of the house’s eastern façade to the surrounding fields, with different, well defined and structured zones. In the upper part, slightly away from the house, a long expanse lined by cypress trees and dotted with fruit trees could be an ideal place to install a swimming pool in the future. The central part plays host to a shaded, ornamental garden. The patio can be reached from the kitchen and is protected from the sunlight by a pergola on which Virginia creepers climb. Thereafter, small steps lead to a lawn punctuated with four immense one-hundred-year-old plane trees, ideal for shaded summer outdoor lunches. The lower part is lined by a rose garden through which a passage has been created. A long stone wall leads to a pétanque pitch surrounded by shrubs and fruit trees (hazelnut, plum, date plum and cherry), hiding the two-storey outbuilding situated just above it.
The outbuilding
In all likelihood, this approximately 80-m² annex building was built in the middle of the 20th century to increase the main house’s capacity for welcoming guests. It possesses a gabled roof made of half-round tiles with an awning on the southern part. The ground floor includes a large room with a working fireplace, a small kitchen and an adjoining space. A staircase climbs up to the mezzanine overlooking the ground floor.
Our opinion
This is a luxurious country house of manageable size that has stood the test of time and been adapted to the successive plans of its various owners. Firstly, it was a wealthy family’s estate, before being transformed into a holiday centre. It was then run as bed and breakfast accommodation before resuming its purpose as a main residence. Its main asset is the flexibility of its layout over three different levels, set around a central hall that leads to the various and many living spaces. The attic space as well as the outbuilding in the garden still require complete renovation. Their future purpose will be left to the imagination of the future occupants, who would do well to draw inspiration from the place’s peaceful country atmosphere.
890 000 €
Fees at the Vendor’s expense
Reference 284455
| Land registry surface area | 2700 m² |
| Main building floor area | 344 m² |
| Number of bedrooms | 6 |
| Outbuildings floor area | 80 m² |
French Energy Performance Diagnosis
Information on the risks to which this property is exposed is available on the website: www.georisques.gouv.fr
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.
