A 19th-century Provence country house, with a swimming pool and separate annexes, in grounds 15 minutes from Cassis, in the countryside near Marseille
A 19th-century Provence country house, with a swimming pool and separate annexes, in grounds 15 minutes from Cassis, in the countryside near Marseille.
In the east of Marseille, the road that leads to Aubagne winds its way past the feet of green hills reminiscent of Pagnol's stories. This manor house, which was erected in 1880, stands in such picturesque countryside, dominating the Huveaune Valley, 20 minutes from Marseille city-centre and its Vieux-Port harbour, 35 minutes away from the Marseille-Provence international airport or Saint-Charles railway station and 15 minutes from Cassis.
At the time the residence was built, the Canal de Marseille had boosted farming in landscape that was renowned for its early vegetables, olive oil and vines. The canal was built between 1839 and 1854 on the edge of the Calanques national park, its main section winds for 84 kilometres through Provence and is today a popular place for a stroll.
The property is made up of two buildings standing on a small hill at the foot of the Garlaban range.
This majestic, south-facing, 19th-century country house boasts around 460 m² of living space, with ten bedrooms spread over three levels and is set away from the main road. It is made of ashlar as well as ochre-coloured lime-rendered rubble stone and stands at the rear of is plot of land, overlooking wooded grounds. The square main section, with tree vertical rows of openings, is framed by two slightly protruding wings. Several sober decorative elements punctuate the facades, such as corner pilasters, dividing lines, moulded window surrounds and stringcourses, all beneath a hipped roof made of barrel tiles, underlined by a triple génoise cornice. Lastly, the rectangular, symmetrically laid out, large-paned, double glazed, imitation wood aluminium framed windows, topped with glazed fanlight windows on the garden level, are fitted with green-painted louvred shutters.
The main dwelling is flanked to the east by a more modestly sized and recently constructed building made up of several volumes. It boasts a total surface of approximately 400 m², with rendered elevations, rectangular windows and roofs made of barrel tiles or interlocking tiles. Their main facades of the two buildings are a several metres apart since the country house stands further forward in relation to the outbuildings, where four additional dwellings have been created.
They are surrounded by grounds of more than 1.5 hectares and the main residence boasts a vast, shaded, gravelled patio, next to which there is a swimming pool, while there is parking for several vehicles in different parts of the property.
The country house
The garden-level floor
An 18th-century sculpted wooden door opens from the north side into a vast entrance hall, which sets the tone for the house: sober wood panelling on the walls, bright red hexagonal terracotta floor tiles and ceiling heights of around 4 metres. The hall leads to the south to three reception rooms interconnected by large, wooden, double-leaf doors: a dining room with a very finely crafted white marble fireplace and a delicately decorated ceiling; a lounge boasting 19th-century wall paper designed and produced by upholsterer Jules Desfossés; and, lastly, a small lounge fitted with a sculpted wooden fireplace originating from a townhouse in Marseille.
From the entrance hall, a corridor leads, to the east, to a bedroom and a shower room with a lavatory, as well as a boiler room. On the western side, there is a kitchen, another shower room with a lavatory and an office, which could be transformed into an extra bedroom.
A straight staircase with a wrought iron guard-rail, terracotta tiled steps and wooden bullnoses climbs up to the upper levels.
The first floor
At the top of the stairs, the landing leads to two large south-facing bedrooms with tall windows benefiting ...
