Ansouis. Ever heard of this Provencal village? You didn’t. Despite it being “One of the most beautiful villages of France”. There are many stunning villages in Provence and in France in general, each rich with history and sumptuous stories. And you could spend every weekend or your entire life exploring every village. I will attempt in this series of articles to shed some light and order on these villages. You can then decide for yourself if it is worth your time and effort, in the limited time and effort you have in Provence.
One autumn evening, in bed, under the covers, surfing through my favorite documentaries on Provence, I stumbled upon a reportage on the most beautiful villages. Mostly aerial shots to save time driving through vineyards and groves. The reporter mentioned in the passing Ansouis and her chateau. I googled.
The church
On a chilly clear day in November I got into my car and drove to Aix-en-Provence and from there north to the edge of the Luberon. I arrived to Anouis in the early morning hours when the light is crisp. Autumn foliage greeted me as cafes dried off wet chairs and tables.
I walked around the tiny village, cobbled stoned and cute enough. Small streets, small buildings, short doorways, windows. I have come to the land of midgets. Inside the church, I feel all alone, like I am trespassing. The church is also fitting the village style, simple, very old, could use better upkeep. It is a pretty enough village but I feel claustrophobic. I prefer my own village, Ollioules, which is more like a small town so you have some level of privacy.
Ansouis Chateau
But the real reason for stopping in this little known village is for the Chateau. It is something to see and full of a rich history of hand changing until a final legal battle among inheritors gave a wealthy couple the chance to buy this piece of Provence for 5.6 million euros 13 years ago. One can only speculate how much taxes they paid on this sale, cost of renovation, restoration and upkeep, and not to mention all the 18th century furniture hunting to furnish this castle in keeping with tradition. I suppose if you are affluent this is as good and a noble occupation to restore glory to an old Chateau. A dream come true for some, simply a dream for others.
Entrance to the Chateau 
Conservation of intricate gypseries
But I can do my part to restore glory to this chateau without spending millions of euros, I can write about it for you to read. I will say that there is no shortage of magnificent chateaus in France, especially in the Loire Valley of course, but I prefer the smaller humbler chateaus of this region which have a more homey feeling and not an extravagant show of old power.
I will not get into the history of the castle, the Dukes who ruled it, the power struggles and the inheritance wars. What is important is that after over 800 years it is now in the good hands of people who respect history. You can book a visit with the owners who take great pleasure in opening their home, recounting history and showing off the great work of restoration that they engaged in. Especially, and most importantly, the conservation of the beautiful and intricate gypseries (plaster work) decorating main rooms. There is also an interesting collection of 18th century furniture inhabiting the space for who those appreciate this sort of thing.
An off-the-beaten-path Provencal village.
