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MAS DU FOUR À PAIN

Once upon a time, an enterprising baker set up shop in the little hamlet of Fontcaudette, in the foothills of the Lubéron Mountains a short ride by carriage or horseback to the village of Gordes. The baker built a house with walls of thick yellow stone, and as part of the house an oven where he could bake bread. The oven was quite large, with a vaulted ceiling high enough for a tall man to stand. To commemorate the occasion, the baker chiseled into a stone above the oven door the year of construction - 1769.

Next to the oven was a long kitchen, with a broad fireplace at one end and, at the other, a noble stone staircase that led to the upstairs and the family's living quarters. One can imagine the warm, sweet smells that must have filled the hamlet on a cool Provençal morning as the baker slid iron trays of hand-kneaded dough into the oven. Surely the bakery was a hub of community activity, as the bonnes femmes and children of the hamlet and surrounding farms made their way here daily for bread, leaving with baskets full of warm baguettes and pains de campagne - and their ears filled, no doubt, with plenty of gossip to pass on to their neighbors.

Never in his most yeast-inspired dreams would the baker have imagined that someday his property would fall into the hands of two architects who, roughly two-and-a-half centuries later, would convert this pile of stones into a house of such charm and character that people from foreign lands would pay princely sums to come here. But rather than kneading dough or tending a hot oven, these visitors would do little more work than read in the shade of a plane tree, uncork a chilled bottle of rosé or paddle around the 3.5 m X 11 m (11.5' X 36') swimming pool. If truly inspired, they might carry in a load of firewood to burn while preparing a meal in the splendidly appointed kitchen, writing on a laptop computer in the comfortable library, listening to Beethoven sonatas on the stereo system, or watching television programs brought in from afar by satellite dish.

Nor could the baker have conceived that the surrounding land - enclosed by stone walls - where farm animals must have once grazed would be transformed into an elaborately terraced garden planted with olive and fruit trees, cypresses, rose gardens and lavender patches bursting with color, all connected by manicured gravel paths flowing between the different levels of the flowers and trees. The centerpiece of these gardens is the pool, above which a striking pergola provides an enchanting spot for evening cocktails, perhaps before setting off for dinner in one of the many regional restaurants.

Likewise, 21st-century visitors to Mas du Four à Pain would not imagine that these exposed stone walls, rough-hewn stone floors and heavy beamed ceilings would conceal such state-of-the-art engineering. Completely new electrical, plumbing and heating systems keep the 240 m2 (about 2,600 sq. ft.) house breezy in the summer and cozy in the winter, a place to seek refuge in luxurious surroundings at any time of year. But its thick stone, warm colors and sturdy woods, as in the wooden doors and ceiling beams, are a reminder that this structure is as steeped in the history as the surrounding limestone hills are in time.

Further enhancing the natural appeal of this spacious but intimately structured Provençal home is its situation in a small hamlet a few kilometers southeast of Gordes. The terrain here reflects the rugged garrigue (scrubland) and rocky outcroppings that join with impeccably tended orchards and vineyards to form the signature topography of the Lubéron. In this lush yet enchantingly wild landscape about a dozen houses, separated by gardens and stone walls and generous allotments of land, are grouped in such a way to create the feeling of a discreet community, but without the slightest sacrifice of privacy. The hamlet of Fontcaudette is well distant from any major road, and the only noise is the occasional sound of a car pulling into a gravel driveway. It is pleasant to stroll the hamlet in the morning or evening, and in the cool months, to watch thin curls of gray smoke rise from the chimneys. Fontcaudette is on a gentle rise, and from the windows of upper floors there are views toward the high ridges of the Lubéron mountain chain.

Yet only a few kilometers from Fontcaudette and its deliberate provincial rhythms, a full range of civilized comforts and amusements is available for the asking. Gordes, the flagship of Lubéron villages, its little streets honeycombed with interesting shops and restaurants, can be reached by car in about 10 minutes. There are more shops at nearby Coustellet, about 15 minutes, and the town of Cavaillon, 15 minutes further. The market town of L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, almost as rich in supermarkets and modern shopping facilities as it is in world-class antique dealers and fabric merchants, is a 20-minute drive. Avignon, a city intensely devoted to human pleasure and the fine arts, is 40 km to the west. At Mas du Four à Pain one can shuttle at will between a serene existence far from the madding crowd, and whatever gradations of intensely civilized activity one chooses that day.

Mas du Four à Pain is notable among houses of the hamlet for its pale blue shutters, stone steps and simple wood door framed by climbing vines. Beyond the modest exterior lies rooms that are about as close to perfection as one comes in Provence.

The front door opens into a good-sized foyer, where there is a round table with an assortment of regional information and guidebooks. To the right is a bedroom, and directly ahead a rounded arch that forms a corridor leading from the foyer through the former oven to the kitchen. The corridor also functions as a pantry for the kitchen, and its wide shelves are filled with high-quality dishes and cookware, including Le Creuset casseroles in several sizes. As its typical of most of the house, the floors are of rough-hewn stone, the walls alabaster-white plaster or exposed stone, and the ceilings have exposed beams.

The kitchen and dining area, which comprise one continuous rectangular room, forms the image one always associates with Provence - a room that is at once spacious but cozy, and is breezy and filled with light in the summer yet warmed by rich colors and an open fire in the winter. The wide stone fireplace is at one end of the kitchen, near the four-burner Rosieres gas stove, and at the other is a long farm table of polished wood, just the place for a family meal when the weather is inclement.

The kitchen's distinctly Provençal décor features pale yellow cupboards, white tile counters and an original Palladium window over the stove. Cooks will appreciate the large work island, double sink and the plentiful counter and storage space. Appliances include a medium-sized two-door refrigerator, microwave oven and dishwasher, all concealed behind wood panels. A laundry room with washing machine and separate dryer opens off the dining room area.

The kitchen also gives access to a terrace, part of an enclosed courtyard, that is the ideal spot for enjoying an evening meal in the summer. Shaded by an extraordinary overhanging rock and set among trellised vines and ceramic pots with flowers, the terrace has a table for six. For barbecuing there is a Weber grill.

Stone stairs lead from the kitchen to the upper level, where there are a commodious sitting room, a library, a study that functions as an office or television viewing room, and two beautifully decorated bedrooms.

The sitting room is remarkable for its rough-hewn stone floors, high ceiling and matching rows of round holes in the white walls, a carryover from older times when mulberry branches were hung from long poles for silkworms to consume the leaves. A pleasing mix of antique and new motifs, the sitting room is furnished with a large white sectional sofa, Louis XV armchair, two modern armchairs and a low coffee table, all arranged before a wide fireplace.

The library, which opens off the sitting room, has a good selection of books, mostly in English, and a large writing desk. A full stereo system and assortment of CDs are concealed in the bookshelves.

The smaller of the two upstairs bedrooms, which is reached through double doors from the library, has a queen-sized bed, dresser and wall closet. The ensuite bath has a tub with hand-held shower and WC. Fine-quality towels are stored in nooks cut into the stone walls.

Next to the study is the master bedroom. Here the unusual bronze-colored sponge-painted walls, bleached stone floors, exposed beams and built-in bookshelves could earn this bedroom a place in the finest of French interior decorating magazines. Windows overlook the pool and garden. Furnishings include an antique chest of drawers, gilded mirror and a tall armoire. The large ensuite bath, luminous and finished in white tile, has a bathtub, separate stall shower, brightly illuminated vanity and WC.

The third bedroom, more simply decorated than the other two, is on the ground level off the entry foyer. It can also be accessed by a stone staircase that connects to the bedroom from the hall near the study. This bedroom has a 140 cm (55" across) double bed, rocking chair and an armoire for storage. The ensuite bath has a stall shower and WC. As in the other two bedrooms, there are bedside tables and good reading lamps.

In addition to being within an easy drive of shops and supermarkets for daily needs, Fontcaudette is close to roadways and transportation facilities that connect this tranquil little corner of Provence with other parts of the region, as well as with all of France and Europe. Less than 15 minutes to the south is highway N 100, which runs like an arrow east-west through the Lubéron Valley to Apt, with turnoffs onto small roads that wind up the hillside to the picturesque villages such as Ménerbes, Roussillon, Lacoste and Bonnieux. At nearby Cavaillon or Avignon Sud motorists can connect with the Autoroute, part of a network of high-speed motorways that reach from Spain and the boot of Italy to the Netherlands. From Avignon, the TGV races to Paris in a mere 160 minutes, with Charles de Gaulle Airport lying a few minutes further. Marseille-Marignane International Airport, with connections to Paris and a host of European countries, is about an hour's drive.

For sheer per-square-inch charm and comfort, Mas du Four à Pain is one of the most exquisite properties we have seen in Provence. We strongly recommend it for very small groups - up to two couples with perhaps the occasional visitor - who place a premium on perfection, peace and quiet and a touch of old-style Provence.