A Rare Provençal Estate Minutes From the Center of Aix-en-Provence
Only four kilometres (about 2.5 miles) from the Cours Mirabeau, the tree-lined promenade that anchors Aix-en-Provence’s historic centre, Domaine La Grange offers what is rarely found so close to the city: the privacy and scale of a true Provençal country estate.
Within minutes, one can leave the cafés, markets and landmarks of Aix-en-Provence — the historic capital of Provence, once the seat of the Counts of Provence and often likened to a southern Paris for its cultural life and architecture — and arrive at a secluded 4.5-hectare (11-acre) property shaped by olive groves and Provençal gardens, the kind of luminous countryside that famously inspired Paul Cézanne. Fountains and statues softened by climbing vegetation complete the setting.
Two swimming pools and a tennis court complete a setting that feels worlds away yet remains just outside the city’s historic heart.
At its centre stands a three-storey bastide of nearly 900 m² (9,690 ft²). Designed for extended family life and entertaining, it contains thirteen bedrooms, each with its own bathroom, along with generous reception rooms filled with natural light and French doors opening onto terraces overlooking the surrounding gardens.
A hand-carved limestone staircase anchors the entrance hall, its solid balustrade and cylindrical newel post reflecting the bastide’s traditional Provençal character. The stone treads and softly aged walls give the space a calm, enduring presence.
The kitchen combines an authentic Provençal hearth — complete with a wood-fired bread oven and integrated rotisserie spit — with deep-red marble counters and a carved marble sink hewn from a single block, a hallmark of older bastides where stone sinks were often built directly into masonry. The result is a rare blend of historic character and modern functionality.
The architecture retains the warmth and authenticity of a traditional Aix country house while functioning comfortably as a modern family residence.
Around the bastide, the estate’s former agricultural buildings have been carefully adapted. A farmhouse has been converted into ten self-contained studios, while a traditional barn has been reimagined as two apartments. Nearby sit three enclosed garages, a gym, an orangerie, and a summer kitchen beside the second swimming pool. A small private chapel is tucked within the grounds.
Together, the estate encompasses approximately 1,600 m² (17,220 ft²) of interior space and 23 bedrooms across multiple buildings, combining private living with ample accommodation for guests or extended family.
Estates of this kind reflect the traditional bastide culture of Provence, where families historically built country residences surrounded by olive groves, orchards, and gardens just outside the city. Many included agricultural buildings and garden structures such as chapels or orangeries — features that remain defining elements of Provençal estates today.
Large Provençal estates with this combination of land, privacy, and proximity to central Aix-en-Provence rarely come to market.
All photos belong to the listing agency.
