It is a mill with a rich past. It was owned by the Marquis de Sade for at least three years, from 1769 to 1772. The Marquis, author of the novelistic work Justine or the Misfortunes of Virtuelived at the castle of Lacoste but the mill, located three kilometers from the castle, also belonged to him. He owned no less than 200 hectares in the region.The Ferri mill was a source of income for him, he grew wheat, spelt and barley there.“, tells the Figaro Rudi Janssens, from the Janssens Immobilier Knight Frank agency, is in charge of the sale of the mill, located near Bonnieux, in Vaucluse.
The mill is said to date back to the 15th century or even earlier. In the Middle Ages, it was part of a fortified farm. A tower from that period still remains. The mill also belonged to master glassmakers, called Ferri, hence the name of the mill. Today, it has been owned by a local family for two generations.She has partly transformed this building into a tourist residence. The children have inherited it and are facing very significant renovation work. The annexes, a large farmhouse and an old Provencal farmhouse as well as 5 gîtes, are in poor condition, so they want to sell to be able to breathe new life into the mill.“, explains Rudi Janssens. The mill is intended more for a tourist project, like a hotel, and not for a classic second home.
Pierre Cardin tried to buy the mill
The Janssens Immobilier Knight Frank agency almost sold the mill to a hotel group, but the latter found a more suitable property with a lower budget. The mill, with its 19 rooms and outbuildings as well as its swimming pool and pétanque court, is actually offered at the price of 2,350,000 euros.We are in contact with two other hotel groups. The mill is not for everyone given its surface area (Editor’s note: it is built on a plot of land of more than 7 hectares. Each of the five lodgings reaches 60 square meters)t the important work to be done“, emphasizes the agent in charge of the sale. “It is the only building in the golden triangle of Luberon with such a large area of buildings for sale. The Luberon is a natural agricultural area and new constructions are prohibited there.”, assures Rudi Janssens.
The famous fashion designer Pierre Cardin, who bought the Château de Lacoste where the Marquis de Sade lived, and nearly 40 houses in the region, tried on numerous occasions to acquire the mill but “The family did not want to sell the mill and wanted to keep it for their sons.”, notes Rudi Janssens.