luxury bastide with pool for sale Caumont-sur-Durance, France

A luminous 260 m² forest house with swimming pool and over 1 ha of grounds in the heart of the woodlands of the Vaucluse Mountains. Probably a former forester's house, the dwelling was built at the end of the 19th century on the edge of a municipal or state-owned forest to house a forest ranger and his family. This type of lodge was once owned by the state or the local authority, but they were then progressively sold to private owners throughout the 20th century. There was no precise architectural model for these constructions; their layouts varied according to the region in which they were located and the needs of their occupants. The property is situated to the south of the village, on a hill predominantly planted with pine and oak trees. A noble two-leaf wrought iron openwork gate in the arched shape of an eyebrow, supported by two stone pillars, provides access to the property, possibly a remnant of an entrance to a larger forest estate. A driveway crossing the pine forest from the north-east provides access to an area destined for parking cars. Starting with a modest forester's house, the successive extensions have over time created a proper family home. Several parts of the building follow the sloping ground, so that there are two major differences in level within the dwelling. Set in the heart of 1.19 hectares of well-tended woodland, the main building is itself surrounded by vast terraces of stone from local quarries and a 5 x 7 m south-facing swimming pool. The house has been designed to let the light flood in throughout, providing the whole family with moments of relaxation and leisure in absolute tranquillity, only interrupted by the sound of birdsong. On the whole, everything in the house reflects the fact that here, as in most Provence houses, people lived outdoors most of the time. At once an open-air cabin and a warm refuge from the rigours of winter, the interior, with its many windows, successfully achieves the feat of being as bright as the exterior.

The advertiser did not provide an english description for this listing.

Hidden in a beautiful valley near Fontaine de Vaucluse, this authentic bastide 380 m2 will literally transport you through an ocean of peace. The view from the swimming pool (12x6m) over the cliffs of mount Vaucluse is breathtaking. Its location close to the center of the village and the golf de Saumane makes it ideal. Its 4 apartments and its guest house are fully functional and equipped with A/C. It makes it a great family house or perfect B&B.

The advertiser did not provide an english description for this listing.

An 18th-century country house of 600 m², with natural swimming pool, park and 19-hectare olive-growing estate, 15 minutes from Avignon TGV station. This is a bastide with a history that is not easily unveiled. Its Provence name, which means 'to preserve and respect', may well refer to a Masonic practice that existed in 18th-century lodges but has since disappeared. And it was precisely at this time that the bastide was built, probably on top of pre-existing medieval foundations. A symbol in the centre of the park's majestic wrought-iron entrance gate adds to the mystery: a hexagram, or 'Star of David', suggests that the estate may have belonged to a Jewish banker in the service of the Avignon papacy. However, there are no official records to support this hypothesis, which has become a local legend. It should be remembered that the hexagram is a decorative figure found in Christian, Hindu, Japanese and pre-Islamic Arab architectural symbolism; the six branches of the star representing the six days of work, with the seventh day, the day of rest, in the hollowed-out centre of the geometry. The residence, surrounded by around 4 hectares of wooded parklands, is situated at the south-east end of a 15-hectare olive grove, criss-crossed by chequered tracks. Some of the earth paths run alongside one of the high dykes protecting the property from the Rhone River, which provides the entire estate with a much-envied wealth of silt and a constant supply of water. The bastide, at once an aristocratic residence and a farmhouse, displays all the distinctive features of its particular architectural style. As the construction of such a complex always takes time, the square, affluent 18th-century buildings were extended at the beginning of the 19th century by two lower adjoining buildings. Not far away, a single-storey outbuilding dating from the late 19th century, used as a caretaker's lodge, ensures from a distance that the peace and quiet of the bastide, a true 'manor house' surrounded by its estate, is preserved.

The advertiser did not provide an english description for this listing.