|
|
|
Guest-rooms |
 |
|
| Presentation |
|
Sun-soaked Provence is one of those magical
regions that combine natural beauty with the best of good
living. Right in the heart of Provence, 30 km from Marseille
and 15 km from Aix-en-Provence, the village of Ventabren
is ideal for peace and quiet, and soaking up the sun. Le Mistral
is ready to offer you the warmest welcome in its elegant guest-rooms
(called chambres d'hôtes).
This renovated house in the village has
not lost any of its old-world charm and elegance. The famous
Provencal colours and fabrics have been used throughout to
create a wonderful atmosphere. .
A red-tiled spiral staircase leads up
to the living quarters on the first floor. There you will
find a vast and beautifully proportioned living room to relax
in, and a fully equipped kitchen. The cool, sweet atmosphere
in this room is wonderfully welcoming. It leads on to a "solarium"
terrace, with an outstanding panoramic view, where you will
love to sit for your continental breakfast. Le Mistral offers
four elegant and comfortable rooms, each with a personal touch.
Each room has an attractive en-suite bathroom and toilet,
and a colour television.
,
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
Ventabren
Ventabren is charming little Provence village,
famous for its picturesque narrow streets dominated by the
ruins of Queen Jeanne's castle. From the foot of the ruins,
there is a superb panorama over the Berre Lake, the town of
Martigues and the Alpilles hills.
|
 |
| |
 |
Some history
- The village
The Ventabren estate goes back to the distant past.
Excavations have turned up remains and objects that
show that human activity was present as far back as
8000 B.C. But the first houses in Ventabren were built
by the survivors of the deadly Saracen invasion between
920 and 940.
It is possible that Guillaume (William) 1st, Count of
Provence, ordered the building of the feudal castle
around the year 980, after he had redistributed the
land taken from the Infidels. In the 12th century, the
Ventabren estate belonged to the Lords of the Baux.
Their rule ended with Queen Jeanne of Naples, who gave
the castle its present name. In the 16th century King
Henry IV presented the Ventabren estate to the Gaillard-Longjumeau
family.
Then the castle chapel was replaced by the village church
on the present site. In 1792, after the abolition of
feudal rights, the district of Aix-en-Provence ordered
the destruction of all buildings that could be refuges
for Royalists. Queen Jeanne's castle suffered the consequences
of this edict.
|
| |
 |
 |
| |
|
|
- The Roquefavour Aqueduct
The Roquefavour Acqueduct takes the
water from the Marseille Canal (which channels the waters
of the Durance river) across the Arc river. The City of Marseille
decided to build it in 1834, to relieve a "deadly"
drought. Frantz Mayor de Montricher is at the origin of this
masterpiece. The architectural and technical prowess is breath-taking.
The 400-metre-long construction is 83 metres high, and is
made up of three rows of arches. Construction began in 1842
and was completed in 1847. It is the largest stone-built aqueduct
in the world.
|
 |
|
|
|
