Situated at the center of Village Sainte-Catherine of the Vars Commune, La Mourée 1790 house is one of the oldest in the village (More than 300 years old), and is characterized by its vaulted wall columns of the ground floor, typical of the architecture of the Haute Provençe Alps.

 

Built at first as a cowshed and sheep pen, as evidenced by the feeding through that can be seen even today in the main living room, this house could then accommodate the breeding family members who lived there with the animals for many generations.

 

In 1969, the ownership of La Mourée 1790 house was acquired by members of our family. Living in Paris but with deep attachments in Provence, our family transformed the old house into a ski chalet. This leap into modernity allowed two generations of the family to build memorable souvenirs of gatherings with friends at the heart of the most beautiful ski area in the Southern Alps.

 

In 2019, the third generation of the family reinvested heavily to renovate the house with an eco-responsible approach. In the course of a complete renovation, a whole set of new equipment and amenities were added, including a connection to Starlink. The attic called ‘Le Belvédère’ was also fit out, thus multiplying the wonderful views of the mountain seen from the house.

 

The La Mourée 1790 house is from now on a 21st century high altitude Provençal  Holiday House.

 

History of Le Col de Vars.

 

Le Col de Vars has a fascinating  history of its own, worth rediscovering. Being the only way of passage between two valleys, the Durance River and the Ubaye River valleys, the uphill of the Col de Vars was since the Roman Empire Era the scene of many conflicts.

 

The Commune de Vars was, on the other hand, an area of tolerance between people at the time of the religious wars, leaving as evidence the existence of a temple and a church in the same commune.

 

Of the four villages being part of the Vars Commune, Sainte-Catherine is the historical village situated at the highest altitude (1800 meters). High enough at the entrance of the Col so as to offer an impeccable view of the Durance River valley, and further back a magnificent view of the mountain range Les Ecrins (Pelvoux, white glacier, black glacier, Barre des Ecrins notably).

 

The village of Sainte-Catherine has also the best sun exposure of the four villages of the Commune de Vars, because of its high altitude and its distance for the mountain summits.