luxury real estate for sale Maussane-les-Alpilles, France (page 26)

An enchanting 400m² apartment with a garden, court and patio in a 16th-century town mansion listed as a historical monument in southern France's Camargue region. The majestic fortified mansion was listed as a historical monument in 1943 in the middle of the Second World War. It has a ground floor, a first floor and a second floor. It was built in around 1530 during the first French Renaissance and it bears the main traits of this period. The edifice stands where several paths of history meet. This crossroads is both literal and figurative. It lies just south of the town’s royal collegiate church and the fortified chateau of René of Anjou. The house was the jewel in the crown of the medieval town’s aristocratic district, which showcased sumptuous princely homes up to the Second World War when the Allied bombings, carried out to liberate France, razed these gems to the ground. Among the ruins, this mansion was the only survivor from the district’s past splendour. In the 1950s, the charming home had to start sharing the company of soulless concrete blocks of accommodation born of the frenzied drive to rebuild liberated France and urgently rehouse its people based on a post-war Corbusian model of architecture. So the edifice is now at a junction between two worlds, where the Middle Ages and contemporary design collide, between two pivotal chapters in France’s long story. The building illustrates this poignantly: it seems to be turning its back on the royal chateau to face the modern housing nearby. It is guarded by tall walls that it inherited from its initial propose as a fortified house. These walls separated it from the nearby royal chateau and protected it from any devastating flooding from the River Rhône. Its old facade looks south at a range of 1950s brutalist buildings. To tone down this sharp contrast between historical architecture and modern structures, the local authorities added vegetation to the large paved square in front of the mansion, planting a cypress and olive trees here. Before then, this square was in a state of decline. Now it is a no-parking area. From this pleasant square, the property’s large entrance gate leads into the main courtyard of this Italian-style palace.

A 17th-century convent building converted into a house with courtyard garden, swimming pool, independent studio flat and panoramic views in Tarascon. The house is in the immediate vicinity of one of the city's most emblematic religious monuments: the “Chapelle de la Persévérance”. The facade of this place of worship is an iconic example of Baroque architecture, with its segmental arch portal, framed by two pilasters with Ionic capitals featuring garlands of flowers and an entablature with a three-sided architrave, frieze and modillion cornice. The house and its outbuildings, directly abutting the chapel, leave little doubt as to its original use as a convent. Indeed, the house still bears some traces of its original vocation, in particular the decorative motifs of the ground floor vaults. Founded in 1677 as a home for 'girls of ill repute', the chapel and its associated establishment were entrusted to the care of the Sisters of Notre-Dame du Refuge. Like most establishments of this type, created under the royal “in commendam” system, this umpteenth 'convent for repentant girls' was a resounding moral failure and soon became a notorious 'place of perdition'. It took barely half a century for it to evolve from a convent to a brothel. So much so, in fact, that this highly conspicuous place was forced to close by royal decree on the accession of Louis XVI in 1774, a good fifteen years before the Revolution. In 1803, under the First Empire, the modest convent buildings were sold as national property destined to be used as stables. Some of these buildings remain part of the present-day property. As for the chapel, it was used for the catechism known as 'perseverance', an in-depth teaching of the scriptures that children used to follow after their solemn communion - a history to which its current name bears witness. Today, contemporary art exhibitions are held here throughout the year, providing a rare opportunity to visit the church and admire its rich Baroque decor.

A vast 17th century mansion, its outbuildings and its garden, a stone's throw from a medieval royal castle, at the gateway to the Camargue. Neither listed nor classified, this imposing mansion is a miraculous survivor of the Second World War. During the Liberation battles in Provence, because of its strategic position on the banks of the Rhône, Tarascon was badly hit by Allied air raids and a fifth of its surface area was destroyed. The entire section of the town between the railway station and the bridge over the Rhône was razed to the ground. The “Cours National” - pronounced 'course” by locals - developed in 1862 in the Provençal tradition as a vast space for leisure, socialising and shopping, was not spared. Rumour has it that in the 18th century, the untouched mansion housed members of the family of the explorer and naval officer Jean-François de Lapérouse, earning it for a time the nickname 'Hôtel de Lapérouse'. However, this story has never been documented. Apparently, the name of the family who originally built this edifice has been lost forever in the arcane of Provençal history. The mansion was probably sold as national property to local merchants during the French Revolution; these and others who followed ran it as a commercial and residential rental building with shops on the ground floor throughout the 19th century and the first half of the 20th. Today, the ground floor houses business premises which have replaced the reception rooms of the past. The outbuildings served as a coaching inn for the Vallabrègues stagecoach between the 17th and 19th centuries. They have been converted into various premises, flats, a garage and a warehouse flat which extends under the perfectly restored vaulted ceiling of the former stables. The building complex - mansion and extensions - has five independent entrances opening onto the courtyard and a small perpendicular street, taking up its corner and a good part of its length.

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

Charming Houses offers you exclusively, in a quiet residential area, this House of character of 250 m2, not overlooked and only 10 minutes walk from the city center of Tarascon Very wooded garden of 500m2 entirely closed. Swimming pool 9x3m. Terrace. Veranda with its summer dining area and storage On the ground floor, a very pretty entrance hall, a guest toilet, a large living room with lounge area, dining room, stone fireplace, independent kitchen, back kitchen, a suite with its shower room and toilet. laundry room From the living room, a staircase leads to a library area on the mezzanine, then to an independent suite with shower room and wc On the first floor by a beautiful stone staircase, a suite with shower room and wc On the second floor, a suite with lounge area, bedroom with balcony and view, shower room and wc City gas heating, mains drainage. Preferably sold furnished Very quiet residential area From the bedrooms upstairs, view over the rooftops and a small view of the Alpilles

A small eighteenth-century town house with a patio, nestled on a calm, elegant street in the heart of the old Provençal town of Tarascon. From the fifteenth century, the prosperity of Tarascon drew many families: aristocrats as much as merchants and upper middle classes. Clergymen also came. These newcomers built grand private houses: they were keen to leave their mark on the town. The town houses of Tarascon often display rich architectural embellishments in the style of Provençal Mannerism, which dominated in the seventeenth century. But some of these town houses were also plain and small. Since the Middle Ages, town houses have been defined as simply urban dwellings occupied by single owners, so their size does not really determine their category. It was mainly from the eighteenth century onwards that small town houses – those with a floor area of less than 300m² – were built along commercial streets within Tarascon itself, where they were sheltered from the cold mistral wind of winter and from the hot sun of summer. They were made for wealthy merchants rather than for nobility and their style differs to that of grand, sumptuous palaces. The bombings of the Second World War damaged Tarascon but left almost all these old town houses intact: these historical dwellings were not close to the town’s strategic rail line, nor to the bridge across the River Rhône. These homes were often built upon ruins from the Middle Ages or antiquity and they all adopted a similar layout. Moreover, they are all made of the same fine materials: old monk-and-nun tiling, large tiles of grey Barbentane stone, wrought-iron window railings and walls made of limestone from the quarries of Les Baux-de-Provence and Fontvieille. Furthermore, they often reused fragments of column shafts from antiquity. Indeed, reuse of materials from the old remains upon which they were built is a constant feature among them.

A 17th century fortified farmhouse with its dovecote and convertible outbuildings between the Alpilles and the Camargue, in need of renovation. The date 1633, engraved in the stone above the entrance porch, could be misleading: the ancient rampart wall of stone from the Fontvieille quarries with its exposed corbels probably goes back much further. An iron gateway has been installed behind the heavy oak entrance doors. Two old barns, one of which was probably an oratory, frame the main building, which faces north-east/south-west. On the outer walls of the fortified building, animal ex-votos are carved into the limestone, bearing witness to the golden age of the local bullfighting traditions called 'bouvine”, under the impetus of the 'gentleman-guardian' Folco de Baroncelli. In the former hayloft, the pinkish-coloured Douglas fir beams support a fully restored monk-and-nun tile roof. The eaves feature a corbelled overhang ending in a traditional three-row frieze. A few openings protected by single-leaf shutters brighten up the main building. A dovecote topped by a four-sided roof set in the corner of the perimeter wall reflects the aristocratic status of the family that erected the estate and lived here for several centuries.

A completely restored late 18th-century tonwhouse with its three connecting enclosed courtyards in Tarascon. 'To live happily, live hidden' was the motto of the many famous people who have taken refuge behind the thick walls of the Tarascon houses. These discreet and silent houses are hidden behind medieval street corners, in little courtyards, under the shade of a church or a cluster of laurel trees. As soon as their doors are pushed open, they open onto lush gardens or refreshing landscaped courtyards. Next to all sizes of mansions, from the most sophisticated to the most discreet, alongside former convents, and the solid showy buildings built by rich merchants under the vast Renaissance porticoes, also to be found are surprisingly the more modest dwellings of fishermen with their indescribable charm that have recently aroused a great deal of interest. That is certainly the case for this unassuming house. Like many others in the area, it was built at the end of the 18th century for fishermen who depended on the Rhône as their source of food. Built in stone from the Boulbon and Fontvieille quarries or in blocks salvaged from Roman monuments and rendered in a pale colour, these small dwellings are generally two storeys high. Their facades have generous windows, with one on either side of the front door and two upstairs. Provided they receive loving attention, they offer unsuspected possibilities, with their multiple patios, interconnecting courtyards and beautiful old materials.

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.

This spacious house is now for sale. Located in the charming town of Arles (Monplaisir), the property has 150 sq. m of living space. One of the property's advantages is its close proximity to the city center, a train station, a shopping center and the sea. The house's two floors include a spacious living room, four bedrooms, one bathroom, one separate toilet and a kitchen. The house also benefits from double glazing. Southern exposure gives the house a good amount of sunlight throughout the day.

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

A few minutes from the center of ARLES, close to all amenities, Sotheby's offers you this pleasant house with its nice park. Composed of two distinct spaces, it offers a part on the first floor: living room, dining room, kitchen, three bedrooms, garage and laundry room. On the first floor, a type 3 apartment with terrace. The apartment can be part of the main house or independent. A garage, a swimming pool, a park are the assets of this charming house. CONTACT : N.CHABERT 06.12.41.16.04

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

Sotheby's Arles offers you this magnificent triplex of approximately 230 m2. Former Carmelite convent, it offers upstairs a beautiful kitchen and dining room, a bright living room of 30 m2, too bedrooms and a bathrooms. On the second floor, a master suite, an office, a bedroom and a bathroom. Located in the old center, this apartment renovated in 2015 responds to a sacred mixture of the old with a current trend.

97 m2 apartment on the first floor of a residence located in the charming town of Arles. This bright 6-room space, complete with toilets, offers the possibility of modifications to suit your professional needs, ideal for welcoming the public. In addition, take advantage of a large garage for convenient parking. Don't miss this unique opportunity in a pleasant, functional setting. For further information, please contact Mme Chabert on 06.12.41.16.04

Situated 15 minutes from Arles town center, Sotheby's offers this magnificent house built in 1899. Set in 8,000 m2 of grounds, the first floor features a large kitchen, a utility room, a laundry room, a dining room with a lounge area, and two living rooms with fireplaces. Upstairs, a superb master suite, four large bedrooms and a shower room. Quality appointments for this superb residence steeped in history. Contact/ N.Chabert/ 06.12.41.16.04

Near Arles, this property for sale offers a view of the countryside. This character property of 445 m2 is composed of a very large living room with fireplace, a separate kitchen, 5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 shower rooms, an office. It offers a magnificent garden of 5550 m2 with a pretty swimming pool area which invites you to relax.

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

Located in Pont de Crau, close to the center and amenities, Sotheby's offers a building plot of 500 m2 fully serviced. Possibility to build a swimming pool. CONTACT : N.CHABERT : 06.12.41.16.04

Sotheby's offers you this exceptional XVIIth century Provencal farmhouse entirely renovated with charm and elegance. Located in the countryside, in the middle of about 20 hectares of Crau hay and a few minutes from Arles and the Alpilles, it offers beautiful, generous and bright rooms. On the first floor, two living rooms, a dining room, a kitchen and a laundry room. On the first floor, four magnificent parental suites and a bedroom. Outside, for the pleasure of a pleasant moment at the edge of a heated swimming pool, several outbuildings and a shed.