HouseMénerbes (84)

A restored stone house with two hectares of grounds in Ménerbes, one of France's most beautiful villages, at the foot of the Luberon mountain range. A lane leads to the property’s south side, where an unobtrusive gate takes you onto a large entry lane that runs up to the house – a former sheep barn that has been converted into a fine home and extended. The dwelling seems like a solitary retreat, but it is not that far from essential amenities.
Between holm oaks and pedunculate oaks, this secret haven nestled in greenery emerges beyond one of the property’s two traditional dry-stone huts. Such dry-stone huts – called ‘bories’ in French – are characteristic of rural dwellings in the Luberon area. They are circular in shape with a corbel vault. These old structures have survived remarkably well. The property’s first dry-stone hut dates back to the 18th century. It has not been restored. It stands out along the entry lane leading up to the house. The second dry-stone hut is larger and has been renovated masterfully. It has become an integral part of the house.
The house’s walls are made of exposed jointed stones from the quarries of Ménerbes. This jointed stonework contrasts with the dry stones of the traditional huts and low walls. The windows and doorways have a range of shapes: some are right-angled and others are arched. They are laid out asymmetrically. The roofs are covered with monk-and-nun tiling and have either one or two slopes.
On the east side, there is a swimming pool in line with a cobblestone terrace. The pool forms a junction between the two types of local rural architecture. A traditional dry-stone hut with a characteristic rocky form and a single opening runs along the swimming pool and houses the pool’s control room. From the terrace, you can admire a view of the hilltop village of Ménerbes through a gap in the foliage all year round.
On the west side, local characteristics can also be seen in a low dry-stone wall that encloses the property and separates it from a country lane with restricted use. This low wall stands out for its coping of stone slabs placed in an opus spicatum pattern that is typical of southern France: the slabs are placed on their edges in a slanting position upon the wall like books on a shelf.