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The Setting: Villa "Provence-Amerique" is a stylish, luxury, stone house with heated pool. Located in the heart of Provence, the location is ideal. You cannot get better. You are in the midst of all the best that Provence has to offer. The villa is perched high above the vast Luberon Valley, with the Grand Luberon Mountains as the backdrop. You have a breathtaking 180-degree panorama. Set in mature gardens of fragrant lavender, oleander, and roses with ancient olive and cypress trees. The totally private grounds are surrounded on three sides by old, ivy-covered, stone walls and are open to the south to the magnificent view.
The View: The entire house, pool, terrace, and gardens are oriented toward the view. In the valley, you can see in all directions, a patchwork of farms with their lovely old stone barns and rows of cypress trees. There are vineyards, olive trees, lavender, and sunflower fields. Perched on top of nearby hills are the charming, famous hill towns of Provence. From our terrace, you can see Roussillon, Bonnieux, Saignon, and Menerbes, all within a short drive. These are some of the most beautiful villages in France, officially so designated by the French government.
This is the most highly sought after location in Provence, only minutes to Gordes. You are surrounded by great restaurants (Michelin starred), the best outdoor markets (choose a different one each day), and antiquing. Isle Sur La Sorge, where the enormous Sunday market is held, is also the antiques center of Provence (within 20-minute drive).
The Village: While the villa is set above and within very private grounds, you are only a one-minute stroll down in to the small village. The history of the village dates back over 1000 years. The chateau was built by the Templar Knights. One of our tenants said, "There are no words in the English language to describe how charming the village is." It is a gem! This is an unspoiled, historic village whose architecture is treasured and protected.
You will find the grocery, post office, and cafe in the center. There are two very good tennis courts, boules courts, and a jogging path just below the village. There is also hot air ballooning and horseback riding in the valley. We have two Michelin starred restaurants! There are dozens more restaurants within a few minutes drive.
Walking trails begin just behind our property and lead you on long walks into the "garrigue" - hills covered in yellow broome and wild thyme. The air is perfumed when the broome is in flower.
The Villa: Built all on one level, the villa opens onto the gardens through three sets of French doors. Almost all of the rooms face the view. The house is spacious and bright with white-washed walls, old terra cotta floors, and highbeamed ceilings throughout. All of the furnishings are extremely high quality and tasteful (aesthetics are crucial to us). There is a generous supply of all the things you will need. The kitchen opens onto the dining terrace, which overlooks the pool and view. There is a beautiful, large, stone table and eight comfortable arm chairs set under a pergola of thick vines that provides good shade so you can linger over breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
The inviting heated and lighted pool is set in the large stone terrace and looks over the valley below. There are plenty of loungers (eight), garden chairs, tables, etc., as well as both sunny and shaded areas to lounge and read around the pool.
The interior has a large, lovely living room/dining room with a fireplace. These open out to the garden and view through two sets of French doors. We have collected plenty of guidebooks, cookbooks, and novels. There is also an assortment of film cassettes in English for the VCR. The satellite TV gets CNN and Bloomberg. There are many good antiques interspersed with the contemporary white cotton upholstered furniture. Many of the doors and cabinets are centuries old. For winter use, the house is fully heated, well-insulated, and has a good wood-burning fireplace.
The three bedrooms are fresh and sunny, with excellent beds and reading lamps. They all have crisp, fresh linens and towels. There are insect screens on all the windows. The three bedrooms all have very good privacy from one another (suitable for three couples or a family). There are two king-bedded rooms and one with two twin beds. The tile baths are large, modern, and have showers (one also has a tub). One of the king-bedded rooms has a large bathroom en suite with a dressing area.
The kitchen is equipped for the serious cook. There are high quality pots and pans (All Clad), knives, and utensils. There are plentiful and stylish dishes, glassware, and serving pieces as well as a Miele dishwasher, Miele clothes washer and dryer, and a big side-by-side refrigerator. There is a stainless steel cooktop, double sink, and wall oven. The phone and fax are available for your use.
We are lucky to have a team of wonderful people who keep everything maintained. Our house manager, who lives nearby and is fluent in English, is the one to call should you need anything.
I hope you will love it here as much as we do. This is the Provence you dream about! |
