Synopsis
As troglodyte homes go, this one is pretty special. Hewn from the remains of an abandoned quarry, in the remote wilds of the Luberon in southern France, it’s owned by Philippe Jonathan, a French architect originally from Paris, who bought the place 15 years ago, on a whim.
‘The estate agent knew I wasn’t interested in a traditional mass (farmhouse) or a bastide (a fortified Provencal house), Jonathan explains. ‘I wanted something different and challenging. One day he called and said, “I think, maybe I have a place for you”.’
The views from the roof garden stretch, seemingly endlessly, out over the Grand Luberon and the family often gather here to contemplate the extraordinary panorama. ‘It’s a wonderful place to just sit and be. It gets the sun from morning until the end of the day,’ says Jonathan.
Jonathan and Lien hold music festivals and poetry readings here too. ‘We mainly put on classical music performances, but last year we had a pop singer and this year we kicked off the evening with an electro-acoustic concert, followed by some popular classical stuff and then dancing for everyone at midnight,’ explains Jonathan. ‘The place has wonderful acoustics and at night, with the candlelight and the stars, it’s very magical.’
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