Apr 20

Apr 20 18th-Century Bastide Near Gordes: The South of France You Dream About

Estate, Country Living, Europe, For Sale, France, Historic, Market Watch, Notable, South of France

On the market for €4,950,000 with Emile Garcin, this 15-acre estate in Le Thor features a restored bastide, guest houses, and interiors once featured in France’s top design magazines.

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Set just 15 miles from Gordes, in the quiet village of Le Thor, this 15-acre (6.3-hectare) estate captures Provence at its most authentic—sun-baked, stone-built, and deeply connected to the region’s design heritage. Once home to a leading figure in French interiors, the bastide has appeared in several of the country’s top design publications. And it shows.

The estate reveals itself behind a cypress- and olive-lined drive, where a terracotta-hued main house with powder-blue shutters anchors nearly 15,000 sq ft (1,400 sq m) of living space across the bastide, guest houses, and outbuildings. Originally built as an 18th-century hunting lodge, the bastide was fully restored in 2018. Interiors strike a confident balance—sculptural fireplaces, exposed beams, and a semi-professional kitchen are paired with modern touches that feel curated, not staged.

The layout offers rare flexibility. The main house includes four south-facing suites, two offices with a private terrace, a dining room, a library, and a living room with a fireplace. The bridal suite alone spans over 860 sq ft (80 sq m). A separate guest house adds four additional bedrooms, each with its own terrace. There’s also a pool house with a sleeping area, a caretaker’s apartment, a large reception hall, three stables (currently home to two donkeys), and a five-car garage.

To add to its Provençal appeal, the property sits at the gateway to the Luberon, close to the village of L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, and under an hour from Marseille-Provence Airport. Avignon’s TGV station is just 40 minutes away.

In today’s market, turn-key estates with this level of privacy, provenance, and architectural integrity are increasingly rare. Provence—particularly the Luberon corridor—continues to see strong international demand and limited inventory. Properties that blend historic character with design-forward livability tend to move quickly, often off-market.

For those who know Provence, this bastide needs no introduction.