Callemant D’Autane

Aristocratic Updates: A Hotel Particulier in Provence

A noble residence from the 17th century in a postcard-perfect village in Provence, this stately chateau has been refreshed and luxuriously reimagined at the hands of Paris-based Peruvian architectural designer Diego Delgado-Elias, who holds a place on the AD 100 list.

Adding to its old world charms, the meticulously curated mansion showcases floor-to-ceiling tapestries, intricately carved woodwork, glittering chandeliers, and lavish rare antiques. A grand entrance hall with a magnificent staircase sets the stage for the property’s common rooms—a sconce-lit, mahogany-tabled banquet hall, a library filled with gilded spines, a formal drawing room, and a newly equipped chef’s kitchen. Bedrooms and baths are plush and antique-appointed, with sumptuous linens and luxe amenities. Plus, there’s a separate kids’ wing for little ones to frolic in with their nannies.

Outdoors is pure Provence, with views of Mont Ventoux from terraces and balconies, a regal lion serving as doorman, and a swimming pool and lounge chairs out back. An enclosed oasis, the lush garden showcases the best of Provence—verdant citrus trees and fragrant shrubs, planted 17th-century garden urns and exceptionally, a 4th-century Roman cobbled pathway.

Around

Set in the Provencal village of Visan, the property is what’s known in France as a “hotel particulier,” or noble mansion. Visan is located in a sub region of the Vaucluse called the Enclave des Papes, an area made up of four villages and the surrounding countryside that was historically a Knight of Templars command and is characterized by its fertile Mediterranean landscape, wine and agricultural production. The vineyards of the storied Côtes du Rhône wine region cover area hillsides, truffles are foraged in local woods, and lavender and wheat fields quilt the lowlands, along with fruit orchards and prized olive groves. 

Visan itself is known for its AOC wine appellation, Côtes du Rhône Villages, that encompasses 16 surrounding, wine-producing communes. Farming has been the region’s mainstay since Gallo-Roman times, and the town was the private territory of a local lord by the Middle Ages. Fortified, with a storybook chateau within its walls, Visan’s Rue des Nobles is aptly named for its luxurious mansions, once the homes of regional nobility and bourgeoisie that have remained well preserved and manicured, with additions dating from the Renaissance to more modern times. Covered passageways, fountained squares, sculptural ancient walls and city gates all add to the town’s aristocratic allure. 

Chapels in and around Visan—even one set amid the rows of grapes—are historically-classified monuments, and neighboring villages in the papal enclave make for great side trips: Richerenches for its famed truffle market; Grignan for its chateau, and Séguret, Valréas, Suze la Rousse, and Grillon for postcard perfect Provence. Outdoorsy types can trek or bike the rocky pathways of Mont Ventoux or discover the unique geological formation known as les Dentelles de Montmirail, a jutting outcrop of sawtoothed limestone with some 600 paths for serious backpackers/hikers, rock climbers, and experienced mountain bikers.

Location

Visan, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France. Nearest airport: regional/local Avignon (30km); international, Marseille (100km)

Best time to visit

April to October