Mas Saint Blaise

A Traditional Farmhouse in Provence Modernly Reimagined

A lushly manicured Mediterranean garden created by renowned landscape architect Michel Semini heralds your arrival at this classic Provençal country home, and like an unexpected bonus, the Luberon farm’s traditional doors open to reveal a pristinely renovated modern escape that’s uncluttered and fully focused on contemporary comforts.

Refurbished in collaboration with local and regional artisans and materials, the home’s seven bedrooms (five queens, one twin, plus a mezzanine bed in an annex suite) all feature private baths and chic furnishings. The interior design is a harmonious mix of white walls and sparkling new furniture and design pieces that in the same breath allow the best of old-school Provence to shine. Think rustic views of the countryside and the rugged Mont du Vaucluse's outcroppings, exposed ceiling timbers, an abundance of local blonde stone, classic wood paneling and a sinuous, stately central staircase. This is Provence for the 21st-century crowd.

With its pool, tree-shaded tennis court, and al-fresco terraces overlooking the vineyards of the Luberon AOC, the elegantly refashioned property’s exterior spaces exude that rosé-sipping, cicada-sounding, lavender-scented classic Provence. Tendrils of thick wisteria vine cling to shade structures, spiking cypress trees mark the drive, twisting olive trees spread out around the home, and landscaped beds of roses, trimmed hedges, and tidy squares of lawn frame the property’s stony walls. The house offers views of the picturesque ancient village of Oppède le Vieux clinging to a nearby hillside.

Its tennis courts overlooking the vineyards, pool stretching out lazily in the sun, and terraces and garden pathways meandering across its hilltop home, this traditional Provencal farmhouse offers a classic, Southern French landscape every way you look.

Around

Ideally located for day trips to Ménerbes, Gordes, Aix-en-Provence, Apt and Avignon, the house and its annex and shaded terraces occupy a tranquil valley garden, and vineyards and olive groves extend into the distance beyond. The crags of the Mont du Vaucluse can be seen from one side of the house, its rocky outcroppings magnificently rising from a blanket of green. The medieval town of Oppède-le-Vieux occupies a neighboring hilltop and can be seen from the covered dining terrace and outdoor barbecue zone. A lavender-scented medieval village halfway up the north face of the Luberon, it feels lost in time, and indeed, the hilltop village once faced desertion as farmers moved closer to their fields at the foot of the mountain. Cobbled streets, a spectacular castle, and the Romanesque church of Notre Dame d’Alydon are set high on the hilltop, and there are a handful of art and pottery studios along with a café or two and a pretty town square.

Ménerbes, a quick five-minute drive, is one of France’s designated “Most Beautiful Villages” made known back in the 90s by Peter Mayle’s book A Year in Provence. Hikers and cyclists love the scenery in this nature-rich region, with just enough hills to keep things strenuous, and plenty of orchards, wine-tasting rooms and lavender fields along the way. Ménerbes’ center offers restaurants, shops, bakeries and cafes, and there’s a seasonal weekly farmer’s market. Like Oppède, Menerbes is made up of two parts, the upper and lower communities. A 16th-century Citadel anchors one end of the upper village and the other is market by the Chateau du Castellet and cemetery. Architecture from the 16th and 17th centuries dominates in the lower village, and the town is home to the Maison de la Truffe (House of Truffles—and Wine) that details area vintages, and its site as a popular source for truffles.

Location

Nearest airport: Marseille (1 hour)

Best time to visit

March to October