A 300-m² Provencal country house, with a swimming pool and enclosed, tree-filled grounds of nearly 2,000 m², less than thirty minutes from the train s
A 300-m² Provencal country house, with a swimming pool and enclosed, tree-filled grounds of nearly 2,000 m², less than thirty minutes from the train station and airport, on the outskirts of Aix-en-Provence.
In the Bouches-du-Rhône department, twenty-five minutes from the Marseille-Provence airport and twenty minutes from the Aix-en-Provence high-speed rail station, this large Provencal country house is located only twenty minutes by foot from the Aix's historical downtown area. Founded in 122 BCE by a Roman consul, the historical capital of Provence boasted a population of nearly 150,000 inhabitants in 2020, while, thanks to its rich and fertile history, it has preserved a notable cultural heritage with such landmarks as the Cours Mirabeau, Paul Cézanne's studio and Saint-Sauveur Cathedral.
In addition, its greater urban area, influenced by a dynamic cultural and academic life, is surrounded by a breath-taking natural environment, between the sea and the mountains, under Mont Saint-Victoire's benevolent gaze. As for the property, perched up in the heights of the Pinchinats neighbourhood, it combines all the assets of the downtown area with breath-taking panoramic views of the countryside.
Surrounded by vegetation, the property is set back from a main road, while, below, a wooded and protected hillside guarantees unobstructed views over the long term. Enclosed by walls and hedges, which helps safeguard its privacy, it is drenched in dazzling Provencal sunlight and, although integrated within a commonhold property, is still completely independent, immersed in peace and quiet and entirely secure. In addition, the former Provencal country house, the origins of which date back to the 17th century, demonstrates the art de vivre of Aix-en-Provence, combining classical aesthetics with southern elegance. Rectangular in shape, it features more than 300 m² of inhabitable floor area, spread out over three storeys, while its lime-plastered ashlar stone exteriors are topped with a traditional barrel tile roof highlighted by a double genoise cornice.
Featuring a massive front door made out of Bibémus stone and topped with the head of a cherub, which recalls the premises' original residential vocation, its wood-framed, small-paned windows, symmetrically placed around the entrance, are safeguarded by wooden shutters, while, to the east, a conservatory was added, illuminated by large, iron-framed windows and topped with a rooftop terrace, which is, in turn, shaded by a pergola. It should be noted that two successive renovations, in 1999 and 2006, made it possible to combine the dwelling's architectural heritage with more contemporary comforts, such as energy-saving insulation, a modern heating system and inconspicuous air-conditioning units.
The Large Provencal Country House
The ground floor
The front door opens on to a traditional entrance hall with a 17th-century staircase with terracotta floor tiles, wooden nosing and a solid plaster bannister. From here, large wooden double doors, topped with a semi-circular fanlight with radiating spokes, communicate, to the east, with an immense double living room with a soaring plaster-coated coffered ceiling and a marble fireplace that abuts the room's northern wall.
Bathed in light thanks to its many windows/doors, including two windows facing south towards the garden and two pairs of large glass double doors, topped with fanlights similar to the one in the entrance hall, the living room is extended by a conservatory, added in recent years and designed to resemble a genuine and, yet, contemporary orangery. As this Provencal country house's most notable feature, not only does it double the dwelling's living areas, it reorients them towards the west, in order to enjoy the natural panoramic views, while both of these rooms feature travertine marble floors and light-colour ...
