http://www.completefrance.com August 2019 French Property News 39
LOCATION
Vincent’s villages
As always, it is the lesser known villages that
represent the best value for money for property
buyers and they usually boast close proximity
to the most desirable areas, especially for those
with a car.
For instance, a short drive from Arles is the
hilly medieval village of Les-Baux-de-
Provence, memorable for its cobblestone
streets and the rocky ramparts of an ancient
crumbling château. The surrounding area is
filled with vineyards and a popular wine cave,
and there is even evidence of former
troglodyte life here, with dwellings cut into
the cliff-face.
Prospective buyers can also enjoy the
village’s famous cave, Carrières de Lumières,
which is hosting an animated art show
dedicated to van Gogh throughout this year.
Light projectors beam the painter’s imagery
onto the walls and floor of the cave – the
theme could not be more inspiring for
artistic-minded visitors.
Just a 10-minute drive from Les Baux lies
charming Maussane-les-Alpilles, a sleepy
country location renowned all over France as
the centre of the country’s olive oil industry.
There are over 37,000 olive trees in this tiny
area alone.
An eagle-eyed buyer can snap up some
blink-and-you’ll-miss-it bargains here. For
example, one charming two-bedroom house in
the area, complete with a spacious garden and
pool, is currently on the market with Leggett at
less than €200,000.
Turnover of property is more rapid in
ultra-popular Provence than in many other
areas of France, so discussing the latest
up-to-the-minute prices with an agent is
worthwhile. A general guide, as Jennie Tombs€449,000: Lauris townhouse
This renovated five-bedroom townhouse comes
straight from van Gogh’s era. Built in 1870, it is
located in Lauris village, within easy driving
distance of Aix, and offers a roof terrace with
breathtaking views to inspire artists.
leggettfrance.com
of Leggett advises, is that “village houses
typically start at around €150,000, with large
villas from €500,000 upwards”.
Another budget-friendly village in the near
vicinity is Tarascon. For those with designs on
painting some of the picturesque landscapes
themselves, the panoramic terrace of the
village’s criminally under-publicised 15th-
century château serves perfect inspiration. A
few miles away, another potential scene for a
painting is a striking windmill named after
novelist Alphonse Daudet.
Finally, an equally noteworthy village on the
van Gogh trail is St-Rémy-de-Provence, where
the artist was admitted to a mental health
asylum after the unfortunate episode with his
ear. Despite his confinement, he continued to
paint prolifically, producing hundreds of
illustrations of its gardens and the mountain
landscapes that lay beyond.Cézanne produced several paintings of Mont Ste-Victoire, near Aix-en-ProvenceHarvest in Provence, by Vincent van Gogh, 1888