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DOMAINE DES OLIVIERS

Passing through the massive wrought-iron gates of this extraordinary 18th-century manor house, one wonders if there is not some mistake: we are in Provence, but have we suddenly passed through the looking glass and fallen on some magnificent estate in Tuscany? Spreading before the house is an extensive Italian garden with gravel walkways lined with lilies and shaded by vine-covered trellises. Arches cut in high boxwood hedges are entryways to gardens where razor-straight rows of shrubs enclose gardens blooming with laurel bushes and roses. Statues of mythological figures peek through the greenery, a canopy of cypress, chestnut, acacia and other varieties of trees: there is Aquarius, with his urn of water, and Demeter, goddess of the harvest with her sheaf of grain. Pan, with his ever-present flute, guards a bassin where goldfish the size of carp swim indolently. Twin lions flank the entrance to the formal garden. On the adjacent hillside a russet carpet of needles from the towering parasol pine trees contrasts with growths of lavender and flowering shrubs. Everywhere are patches of sun and deep shade. There is no sound save perhaps the hum of a far distant tractor, or the thrumming of cicadas on summer days.

Beyond the garden is the swimming pool, set in its own park of lawn and flower gardens enclosed by massive hedges. Farther yet, hidden behind another wall of shrubs, lies the perfectly maintained tennis court. The architecture of the pool house again evokes rural Italy. Finally, stretching to a distant line of trees that marks the border of this seven-hectare (17-acre) terrain, is a grove of 250 olive trees, their bleached green leaves fluttering in the soft breeze. One might as well be in the hills of Tuscany, or the rolling countryside of Umbria.

But no, it is Provence. This becomes immediately evident upon returning to the courtyard and surveying the three-story manor house, an icon of Provence if there ever was one. This home clearly belonged to a person of wealth and standing in the region when it was constructed near the village of Saint-Etienne-du-Grès in the 17th century, and enlarged in the mid-18th century. With its characteristic architecture, southern orientation, thick walls finished in a soft yellow stucco and windows framed by sky-blue shutters, Domaine des Oliviers is Provençal down to its last stone.

In the interior of the 450 m2 (4,840 sq. ft.) manor house, where mechanical systems are in perfect operating condition, the decor reflects the unflinchingly classical approach seen in the formal garden: spacious public rooms with high ceilings, tall windows admitting abundant light, floors of wide terra cotta tiles or rust-red tommettes, carved fireplaces in practically every room, painted wood panels and wall murals depicting pastoral scenes. The furnishings run the gamut from Louis XV chairs and Empire sofas to armoires, tables and writing desks whose simple lines and highly polished woods complement the ambiance of understated elegance. Every room has been decorated with taste and character. In a word, this is a strikingly beautiful Provençal home for a family or group of adults hoping for an enjoyable vacation in an environment where formality and relaxed living are in balance.

The public rooms

The ground-floor public rooms - a formal dining room and two sitting rooms joined by a wide doorway - are uniformly commodious and furnished with fine antiques. From the second sitting room a glass and wrought-iron door opens to an orangerie, a luminous room with glass panels reaching to a cathedral ceiling, an ideal place for a summer cocktail reception.

In the dining room an elegant table can be expanded to accommodate up to eight guests. The room is decorated with tapestries, and illuminated shelves bracket a limestone fireplace. From the dining room a door opens directly onto a terrace with a table, large enough for 12, shaded by a vine-covered trellis.

The first sitting room - large enough to include two conversation areas as well as a Player baby grand piano in good condition - is filled with light from tall windows that open onto the courtyard. A statue of Hermes and an easel with an old French text opened to a poem are typical of the decorative touches. Vaulted ceilings and antique terra cotta tile floors lend a magisterial character to the room.

The second sitting room, no less lavishly decorated, has wide-block limestone floors and is lined on one entire wall with illuminated bookcases. Among the polished wood antiques is a magnificent walnut desk. In one corner there is a sitting area with a television that receives international channels.

The kitchen, adjacent to the dining room, has all modern appliances and yet has a rustic aspect typical of farm kitchens of the region. This room takes its deep Provençal character from its enormous fireplace, low ceilings, rust-red terra cotta tile floors, extensive wood cabinetry and a sturdy farm table for up to eight guests. One can imagine a family gathering here at Christmas with a robust fire going in the fireplace.

Kitchen appliances include a four-burner gas stove with oven, dishwasher and medium-sized two-door refrigerator. There are two additional refrigerators in the nearby utility room, where there are also a washing machine, a separate tumble dryer and ironing facilities. Just outside the kitchen is a nicely appointed guest lavatory.

Bedrooms

There are five bedrooms on the upper level, all of them with top-quality bedding, bedside tables with reading lamps, writing desks and views of either the courtyard or garden. Each bedroom is spacious, has good storage space in either a built-in closet or armoire, and is furnished with fine antiques and tasteful wall decorations. All bathrooms on the upper level has a WC.

Three bedrooms open from a hallway that forms one wing of the upper level.

Bedroom 1 has a short single bed that is appropriate only for a pre-adolescent child. Bedroom 2 is a large and charmingly appointed room, decorated in a classical style, with a queen-sized bed, carved marble fireplace and tomettes tile floors. Occupants of these two bedrooms use a bathroom with a stall shower at the end of the hallway.

The third bedroom, which because of its size would be considered the master bedroom, is part of a sumptuously appointed suite of rooms that overlook the Italian garden and courtyard. The bedroom, which has a double-size walk-in dressing room, is entered through a study with a sofa and, positioned to give a view of the Italian garden, a striking walnut writing desk. The bed is a 150 cm (59" across) double bed, and the newly refinished ensuite bath has a tub and overhead shower with a huge round showerhead.

There are two other bedrooms on a separate wing of the middle level. Bedroom 4 has twin beds that can be pushed together to form a king-sized bed, and an ensuite bath with a tub and hand-held shower. Bedroom 5, an especially luminous corner room, has twin beds and a bathroom, just steps away, with a tub and hand-held shower.

A guest who wants to establish a serious place to write or conduct business while at Domaine des Oliviers will find just the answer in another room on this level - a huge office, its walls hung with restored tapestries depicting pastoral scenes, with a stunning wood desk that is almost four meters (13') wide. This room offers total quiet and privacy from other guests in the house.

Pool and tennis court

It would be hard to imagine a more idyllic setting for a swimming pool than the verdant setting at Domaine des Oliviers. The 7 m X 14 m (23' X 46') pool is set in its own rectangular garden, with huge hedges on two sides, a pool house on the third, and on the fourth side a hillside with a stone stairway lined with lavender and flowering shrubs. The pool has Roman steps at one end, and the flagstone deck is furnished with a generous assortment of high-quality lounge chairs. The pool house, its architecture reminiscent of Tuscany, has a shower, WC, dressing room and a covered area for dining.

Beyond the pool, on the other side of an immense hedge, is the new tennis court, which has deep backcourts and a quick-drying surface. The court is surrounded by a grove of olive trees.

Other features

Domaine des Oliviers is filled with pleasant surprises for the guest who ventures forth to explore the sprawling seven-hectare (17-acre) terrain. In the garden, well removed from the house, one comes upon a small pavilion, again in the Italian style, that could be an inviting place to slip away to for an afternoon of reading or a quiet conversation with a friend. In shady little niches here and there are benches where it is pleasant to sit and survey the garden. Turning a corner one comes upon yet another fountain in a basin where goldfish swim. Around another corner is a yet undiscovered statue of another classic figure.

A guardian and his wife live in a separate apartment with its own entrance. The guardian is friendly, helpful, energetic and respectful of guests' privacy. The guardian's wife is available for cooking and personal laundry at extra charge.

Domaine des Oliviers has an excellent central heating system and is available for occupancy year-round except July.

Saint-Etienne-du-Grès and its environs

Saint-Etienne-du-Grès, less well known to tourists than its popular neighbor 8 km to the east, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, is an authentically Provençal village typical of the Alpilles region of Provence. Saint-Etienne has a variety of commerce, including a presse that sells international newspapers, a pharmacy, bakeries and a handful of specialty shops. Restaurants abound at Saint-Rémy and nearby villages, in particular at Fontveille, a 10-minute drive, and Maussane-les-Alpilles (15 km), home of one of our favorites, Le Margaux. The famed L'Ousteau de Baumanière is at Les Baux, 12 km. Even more spectacular is the superb Bistro d'Eygalières, a 20-minute drive, which has now risen to a two-star rating in the Michelin Guide Rouge.

Visitors to Domaine des Oliviers will also want to pay frequent visits to Saint-Rémy to enjoy its many boutiques and, on Wednesday morning, its open-air market. Also of interest is Maussane-les-Alpilles, which in addition to its Thursday morning market has a variety of small stores and quality food shops, including a butcher whose rosemary-scented leg of lamb is known throughout the region. Maussane is also home to a cooperative that, according to cookbook writer Patricia Wells and other culinary experts, produces the finest olive oil in France.

The medieval cities of Avignon, Arles and Nîmes - the last two have Roman theatres used to this day for bullfights - are all within a drive of 45 minutes or less, as are the perched villages of the Lubéron, among them Gordes, Ménerbes, Bonnieux and Lacoste. For opera aficionados there are summer performances featuring internationally acclaimed singers at the Chorégies d'Orange, staged in the ancient Roman theatre at Orange, and at the opera festival at Aix-en-Provence. Both festivals have websites with schedules and advance ticketing arrangements. Theater-goers will be interested in the renowned drama festival at Avignon during the first three weeks of July, while dance enthusiasts visiting in late July will not want to miss the week-long festival of classic and modern ballet at in the outdoor Cathédrale d'Images at Les Baux.

For golfers there are several excellent courses in the area. Within a 15-minute drive are both the picturesque nine-hole Golf des Baux-de-Provence, and the difficult but lovely 18-hole Golf de Servanes at Mouriès. The 18-hole Golf de Nîmes as well as Golf de Pont Royal - the finest course in the region - are both less than 45 minutes away.

Being in southern Provence, Domaine des Oliviers is within easy striking distance of the villages and beaches of Mediterranean. For a dinner of freshly grilled fish by the sea it is a drive of 90 minutes or so to Bandol and Cassis, once ancient fishing villages and now trendy international resorts with marinas lined by cafés and restaurants. The beaches of Saint-Tropez are just over two hours. It is a pdrive of less than three hours for a daytrip to the Picasso museum at Antibes, or to view the remarkable post-Impressionist collection at Fondation Maeght near Nice.

International travel connections

Even with its serene countryside location, Domaine des Oliviers is easily accessible by train, plane and automobile from international destinations. The TGV station at Avignon is a drive of about 35 minutes, and Marseille-Provence International Airport, which has several flights daily to London and Paris, is a 50-minute drive. An entrance to the Autoroute system at Cavaillon, the complex of superhighways that links France from border to border, is less than a half-hour drive.