Your contact:	Bernard Samuels MD
Telephone:	601-528-2278 or 601-528-4495
Email:	Click here to contact l'Héritage

The thick stone walls of this 3-storey townhouse were originally built in 1486. The owners have recently completed a 3 year total restoration, offering a high standard of comfort in a medieval ambience. The house has two courtyards filled with trees, flowers, hanging plants and vines at both front and rear. There is also a dining terrace overlooking the back courtyard. The ground floor features the original vaulted ceilings in the living room, television room, and the main kitchen and dining area.

The house has four bedrooms, three and one half bath rooms and two kitchens. The spacious master bedroom, with a large ensuite bathroom, takes up the all of the uppermost floor. The bedrooms offer excellent views of the nearby mountain, the Plateau du Vaucluse.

The décor and furnishings have been carefully chosen to reflect the Provençal style, with exposed oak beams, white plaster walls, and antique furniture throughout (apart from the new beds). The house is filled with brand new appliances and includes a fully equipped laundry room.

Outside the house, a few steps take the visitor to a 12th Century castle. It's just a short walk to a massive 13th Century windmill, which sits on top of a mountain ridge with a marvelous west vista for viewing beautiful sunsets.

Special features:

• Bilingual assistance available on site

The medieval village of Saint-Saturnin-les-Apt is on the lower slope of the mountainous Plateau du Vaucluse. The village has flawlessly retained its late medieval appearance, as it has allowed no new construction and as all restorations must leave the exterior of the houses as they originally were - only the interiors can be changed. Ambling through the narrow streets, one can view the remains of the original 12th Century walls of the village and the arched tower that once guarded the east entrance. The tower is inhabited by a world famous pianist who occasionally gives recitals there.

The village is famous for many interesting features: its 12th Century castle which is next to the house; an ancient massive windmill that is on top of a ridge opposite the house; and a restored 13th Century cathedral-like chapel, which is above the castle and gazes upon the house and the village below. Despite its small size, St-Saturnin has two excellent restaurants, two bakery shops, a butcher, a grocery, a charcuterie, cafés, a wine shop, a pharmacy, a tobacco shop that sells newspapers and magazines from around the world, and a beauty shop. There is a large modern public swimming pool complex for both adults and children. A short walk away are the cliffs which overlook the valley in every direction.

There are bicycles kept at the house for touring the quiet roads that traverse the surrounding areas. The Provençal countryside is full of orchards, vineyards and other villages and castles. The nearest town, Apt, is six kilometres away; other nearby towns include Lacoste, where the Marquis de Sade once resided, and the village of Bonnieux, made famous by the Peter Mayle's "A Year In Provence". The most interesting monastery in Provence is the Abbaye de Sénanque, which is a short drive away. Two bicycles are available on the property, for viewing the village and surrounding countryside.

Everything in Saint-Saturnin can be reached on foot, and an automobile is only necessary for excursions outside of the village. There is a weekly open-air market in every village in Provence, and Saint-Saturnin is no exception. In fact, because of the very close proximity of dozens of similar villages, a very short drive can take you to a different market every day of the week. The many interesting towns in the region include Gordes (17Kms), with its fabulous multi-star restaurants; L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue (34Kms), famous for its large number of antique shops and open air stalls that sell every type of French objet d'art, and Avignon (40Kms) with its Palace of the Popes. Also close-by is a mysterious prehistoric village of dome shaped stone houses called Les Bories, and the ochre-coloured village of Rousillon (15Kms). This area of Provence has a magnificent rural landscape, full of vineyards, orchards and fields of lavender. The area is relatively flat, so biking is popular, both as a sport and as a means of transport. But the foothills of the Luberon Mountains are nearby, for more adventurous bikers and hikers.

The exterior rear staircase	The living room
The main kitchen and luncheon area	The dining room
The corner of the kitchen	An additional kitchen services the terrace
The rear courtyard	The fountain in the rear courtyard
One of the two queen-size bedrooms	The second queen-size bedroom
The double bedroom	The twin bedroom
The master bathroom	The bathroom for the twin bedroom
The ancient fireplace	Wine bottles in the cellar
The steps to the wine cellar