A calanque in Provence

Provence Invest Ltd. - Renegade sarl.

France & Ireland

“If God were to come down to earth, he would seek shelter in Provence” - Henri Matisse. Provence is full of diverse character. It is picturesque villages in the hills and busy metropolises of Nice and Marseille. It is olive groves, fields of lavender and famous vineyards of Côtes du Rhône, Côtes de Provence and Bandol all growing to the hum of the cicadas. It is the ‘calanques’ – the clear blue water rocky inlets, smelling of pine and rosemary, far removed from the thronged beaches found elsewhere on the Riviera. Those who have visited know that paradise is not entirely a daydream.

click on picture to enlarge

With its Mediterranean climate, inhabitants of Provence bask annually in 300 days of sun drenched weather. The region has always welcomed people from other countries; Italians, Greeks, Armenians, Jews and Arabs have all sculpted its ancient history.

The Côte d'Azur, the famous French Riviera bordering Provence is set up to welcome a large and rather affluent tourist clientele. The cities and coastline abound with first class hotels, gourmet restaurants, hip boutiques, private beaches and palatial coastal houses harking back to the hey day of the Hollywood divas, such as Brigitte Bardot and Roger Vadim. While it may sometimes sound as overexposed as St Tropez or Nice it is still a breathtaking coastline bordering an increasingly sought after area for Irish and British property hunters.

restored stone house in Vaugines click on picture to enlarge

It stands in contrast to Luberon which is a blissful dolce vita of land with a pure clean environment. These are the sloping vineyards, the purple lavender, wheatfields, olive and almond groves that inspired Cezanne, Matisse, Picasso, Van Gogh and Chagall.

A prospective purchaser could anticipate spending between €600,000 and €1,000,000 for a sizable property in Provence with approximately 5 – 15 acres of land. Renovation expenditure is dependant on customers’ individual requirements, which could sometimes include the addition of a swimming pool, a jacuzzi, a gym, landscaped gardens etc. Depending on the size and works to be done, the purchase of a provincial village house could cost between €250,000 and €600,000.