Le Grand Banc

A private hamlet abandoned after the First World War and discovered in the 1960s by Jeremy Fry of the Fry's chocolate family. He rescued the property from ruin and it has remained with the same family across three generations. Perched high overlooking the Luberon, which is part of the UNESCO World Geopark, the hamlet served for many years as a community for artists and intellectuals working away from distractions. Henri Cartier-Bresson lived and worked in the area, and writers behind Shakespeare in Love and Fatal Attraction worked from desks here. The shelves are filled with works left as thank-yous for long summers spent between the pool and workshops. Jean de Florette and Manon des Sources were both filmed locally. Now a new generation of the Fry family opens the hamlet for a handful of weddings, retreats, and celebrations each year, available only as an exclusive private hire.