A 13th Century Watchtower, With Panoramic Views, A Sheepfold, Plunge Pool And 7 Hectare

A 13th-century watchtower, with panoramic views, a sheepfold, plunge pool and 7-hectare grounds, in the town of Venasque, 40 minutes from Avignon. A dirt lane, which winds its way between the tall brooms, traverses the property’s fan-shaped grounds, facing northwest, before ending at the top of this hillside, at 435 metres in altitude, where the medieval Tour du Pinet stands. Built directly on top of the rocky promontory, the regular-coursed, square stone tower stands out thanks to its authentic and massive architecture, which was wholly devoted to defending the village. Gutted and left roofless for decades, it was lovingly saved from complete collapse by its previous owner, a professional architect, who restored it from 1974 to 1988 according to standard practices, which not only focused on its aesthetics and formal purity, but made it fully inhabitable and comfortable once again.

As for its thick, solid walls, they enclose four storeys, the last one of which opens on to the premises’ true sentinel: a 550-year-old prickly juniper that provides a welcome and verdant touch to the tower’s rooftop terrace. From this flat roof, the views fully embrace the Provencal panorama from the Dentelles de Montmirail to Mount Serein, while, on clear days, one can see all the way to the Pic Saint-Loup.

Originally, life inside this tower was one of isolation and it would take two millenniums before the tower would replace its warlike vocabulary for that of peace, while the tower itself is an undeniable ode to inwardness, which here is devoid of any secrecy thanks to the fluid circulation between each of its floors. Featuring few windows and relying mostly on narrow arrowslits to provide natural light, the tower’s massive fireplaces not only offer reassuring blazes during cooler weather, but extend the heat of the summer months to the very heart of the tower.

In addition, the tower’s surrounding patios are scattered with a variety of local trees such as green oaks, which shape and shade these spaces for relaxation, ideal for mid-morning naps near the plunge pool or al-fresco meals, while only a stone’s throw away, a sheepfold, located below and built up against the rock, contains an additional bedroom with a shower room as well as a small workshop.
Information on the risks to which this property is exposed is available on the Géorisques website: https://www.georisques.gouv.fr/