Probable construction 1741 (≈ 1741)
Date engraved on the sundial.
vers 1775
Interior renovation
Interior renovation vers 1775 (≈ 1775)
Louis XVI style gypseries added.
20 septembre 2005
Historical Monument
Historical Monument 20 septembre 2005 (≈ 2005)
Total protection bastide and dependencies.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
In total: 1/ The bastide itself in its entirety, with all its rooms and their decor, including the integrated furniture of the dining room and the living room, painted canvases, furniture of cornering, alcoves of the rooms; 2/ The garden accompanying it with its terraces, including portals, carved vases, fountains, retaining walls, stairs, wrought iron grills, masonry baskets; 3/ The pigeon tree; 4/ The drying area; 5/ Hydraulic system, galleries, wells, basins (A.A. 24, 27 to 32): registration by decree of 20 September 2005
Key figures
Information non disponible - No character cited
The source text does not mention any names.
Origin and history
The Bastide de Montfinal, located in Bouc-Bel-Air in the Bouches-du-Rhône, probably dates from 1741, as indicated by the date engraved on its sundial. This emblematic monument of the eighteenth century embodies the Provencal residential architecture of the period, combining comfort and agricultural exploitation. The property originally includes vineyards, meadows, a grove, a dovecote, a parkernet and a fountain, reflecting a typical organization of affluent rural estates.
The interior of the bastide was redesigned around 1775, as evidenced by the sixteen rooms adorned with Louis XVI style gypseries, noted during the revolutionary inventory. These interior decorations, as well as the integrated furniture (dining room, living room) and painted canvases, illustrate the refinement of the Provencal elites under the Ancien Régime. The estate, classified Historic Monument in 2005, also preserves its French garden with terraces, fountains and wrought iron stairs, as well as hydraulic elements (wells, basins, galleries).
The dovecote and the drying area, essential utility elements, complete this preserved ensemble, offering a complete testimony of the seigneurial and agricultural life in Provence in the Enlightenment century. The bastide, with its decoration and outbuildings, was fully protected by ministerial decree, stressing its heritage importance. The approximate address, 740 Route de Calas, allows to situate this architectural gem in a still partially preserved rural setting.
