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BASTIDE SAINT-ALBERGATY

Bastide Saint-Albergaty, a seven-bedroom house near the village of Althen-des-Paluds a few kilometers west of Carpentras, has known several transformations in its history of more than three centuries. Created in 1756 as the mill for a colony of Carthusian monks devoted to the teachings of Saint Albergaty, called by his followers "the angel of peace," the monastery fell prey to the excesses of the French Revolution, and after a period of abandonment became a paper mill, of which the smokestack, long defunct and now a classified historical monument, stands to this day. Eventually the current mill owners converted an annex of the mill into a comfortable vacation home for their family and rental guests.

With 400 m2 (4,305 sq. ft.) of living space, exceptionally high ceilings, tommettes (hexagonal dark red terra cotta tiles) floors and fine woodwork, Bastide Saint-Albergaty has an aspect more of a bastide or maison de maître, the home of a financially successful local family, than a restored Provençal farmhouse. The even distribution of floor-to-ceiling windows on both sides of the front entrance is another trademark of a country bastide, as are its dark woodwork, marble mantle fireplaces and wide circular staircases.

These traditional architectural features, combined with the decor - oriental area rugs, 18th-century prints and lithographs, dark-hued fabrics, many objets d'art - create an ambiance that is at once patrician and attractive to the eye, yet more formal than what is typically found in a Provençal home.

Bastide Saint-Albergaty's location 17 km northeast of Avignon makes it a convenient headquarters for visiting the many historic sites and restaurants of that city, as well as the Côtes-du-Rhône wine region just to the north, and the villages of the Luberon to the south. In the immediate area are numerous communities with open-air markets, among them the famous Sunday-morning market at L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, the antiques capital of the South of France, and the Friday morning market at Carpentras, fabled for the intrigues of its truffle traders, as described by the writer Peter Mayle in Encore Provence (2000).

The 2.5-hectare (6.2-acre) property, untroubled by road noise and enclosed by tall hedges that assure privacy, is entered through a wrought-iron gate that opens to a driveway lined with young cypress trees. Stretching before the bastide is a vast lawn that that surrounds the 9 m X 16 m (29.5' X 52.5') swimming pool, which is about 40 meters (a meter is about a yard) from the bastide. The pool is surrounded by both a hedge and a wood fence with a lockable gate, and has a shaded area as well as a small pool house. A canal borders the north side of the property.

Along the front facade of the bastide are two vine-covered terraces for outside dining, one with a long table for up to 12 guests. From the terraces there is a view of the enormous lawn, an ideal playing field for children, and the grassy fields beyond.

Public rooms

The main entrance of the bastide opens into a sun-filled space that departs from the formal decor of the other rooms - a spacious solarium, bathed in light flowing in from a wall of south-facing windows, where there is a sitting area with armchairs and two plush white sofas. Beyond the solarium are a guest lavatory and the foyer, from which a wide, sturdy spiral staircase with a railing leads to bedrooms on the two upper levels.

On one side the solarium opens onto a cozy sitting room with a stereo system, and on the other to a formal dining room. This strikingly elegant room, altogether appropriate for a formal dinner party, has an antique table illuminated by a crystal chandelier. In the dining room is one of the many marble-mantled fireplaces that are found throughout the house. Beyond the dining room is a formal living room with a fireplace and bookshelves filled with objets d'art and leather-bound classic French texts.

Adjacent to the dining room is the country-style kitchen, a warm, inviting room which is a natural gathering place for guests at Bastide Saint-Albergaty. Butcher-block counters, walls of green cabinets, beamed ceilings, wood doors that conceal appliances - these all contribute to the familial country atmosphere of this room. Concealed in antique walnut cabinets are attractive serving pieces and place settings. In the cool months guests can light a fire in the open fireplace, which has a grill for barbecuing, and enjoy an informal meal at a long farm table that seats up to a dozen guests.

Kitchen appliances include a six-burner gas stove with oven, dishwasher, a large two-door refrigerator, microwave oven and a variety of countertop appliances. In the adjacent utility room there is an additional refrigerator with icemaker, as well as a washing machine and separate tumble dryer.

Bedrooms

Bastide Saint-Albergaty has seven well-appointed bedrooms and five bathrooms distributed between its middle and upper levels. All the bedrooms are decorated with pretty window drapes and bedspreads, and all have a chair and writing desk of some kind, and bedside tables with good reading lamps.

In each bedroom there is generous storage space with an in-wall closet or an armoire, three of which are extraordinary 18th-century pieces. Five of the bedrooms face south toward the lawn and pool and have floor-to-ceiling windows that are some five meters (around 16') high. All of the bedrooms have tommettes terra cotta tile floors with area rugs.

The master bedroom suite, which opens off the landing at the top of the stairs from the ground floor, is an especially large room with a queen-sized bed with two antique chests of drawers and a television (French channels only) with DVD player. The tiled ensuite bathroom has a tub with hand-held shower, a separate wide stall shower, a WC and - for those so inclined - a universal workout machine. With five windows overlooking the front park, the suite receives abundant natural light.

Of the three guest bedrooms on this level, the first has twin beds that can be combined to create a king-sized bed, the second a 140 cm (55" across) double bed, and the third, twin beds in antique sleigh frames. The first and second bedrooms share a bathroom near the stair landing that has a tub with overhead shower and WC. The third bedroom has an ensuite bath with twin basins, a tub and overhead shower, and WC. This bath has a separate entrance to the hallway and can also be used by occupants of the first and second guest bedrooms.

On the upper-level are three guest bedrooms and two bathrooms. One bedroom, less spacious but no less elegantly appointed than the master bedroom, has a queen-sized bed in a high-backed antique frame. The tiled ensuite bath has a tub with overhead shower, double vanity and a WC.

The second bedroom has a queen-sized bed, and the third a 140 cm (55" across) double bed. These two bedrooms share a bath with a wide stall shower and WC.

The village of Althen-des-Paluds, a drive of less than five minutes, has a bakery and other shops for daily needs. There is a supermarket at Le Pontet, about 10 minutes away.

With its fenced pool and sprawling lawn, Bastide Saint-Albergaty is an ideal vacation home for a family with young children. Its well-appointed bedrooms and public rooms, as well as the convivial country-style kitchen, also make it a good choice for several couples traveling together.