A 15th-century, remarkably restored chateau and its outbuildings on 5-hectare grounds, near a former Episcopal city, between Bordeaux and Toulouse, in
A 15th-century, remarkably restored chateau and its outbuildings on 5-hectare grounds, near a former Episcopal city, between Bordeaux and Toulouse, in the Gers department.
The property is nestled within the Gers countryside, halfway between the cities of Bordeaux and Toulouse, as well as in immediate proximity to a medieval village along the Way of St. James. Less than 10 minutes from the popular fortified city of Montréal, which includes the closest shops, it is 18 kilometres from the former Episcopal city of Condom, which has all services, shops and schools, a theatre, cinema and restaurants, in addition to proposing a number of events and several weekly green markets throughout the year. Furthermore, Agen and its high-speed rail station are less than one hour away, making it possible to reach Paris in 3 hours and 15 minutes.
The 5-hectare property is accessible via a small country road that weaves its way through fields, vineyards and copses. Two gravel drives then provide access to the property, which is sheltered from view thanks to the vegetation hiding it from the road. On grounds planted with many veteran trees, the buildings are situated around a square courtyard at the top of the hill, which provides unobstructed views of the surrounding countryside. The property, facing south and the Pyrenees Mountains, overlooks a bucolic valley traversed by a peaceful river. To the southwest of the main dwelling, a swimming pool stretches out below a 160-m² patio, safeguarded by stone balusters, while a double staircase descends towards the vast lawns. Rectangular in shape, the chateau has two floors as well as a basement level and convertible attic space.
Cadenced by many tall arched windows, which bathe the interior in light, the chateau's façades are a testament to the more recent refurbishments that the former 13th-century manor, destroyed during the war against the English, has undergone. The buildings and their roofs, which intermesh with one another in order to form a quadrilateral, are made out of lime-pointed rubble stone and highlighted by a double row of genoise corbels, while the house's wide stone front steps, which frame the double-door entrance, the tall carriage door opening onto the former court of honour to the north, as well as the former keep, today topped with slender finials, recall the attention and care paid to the major constructions undertaken by lords and barons from this time period, which in this case were Armadon de Montesquieu, followed by the barons de la Sudrie. In addition, its joinery and shutters painted in an elegant grey-green emphasise the aesthetic unity of the premises and confer the property with an undeniable charm.
The Main DwellingLocated between the tower to the east and the right-angle wing that has been converted into workspaces, extending along the courtyard's southern side, the dwelling has two storeys. Unlike the other buildings on the property, its western and eastern façades are characteristic of the 18th century: covered in light-colour lime plaster and cadenced by symmetrical tall, wide windows that are topped by stone cornices, they exude an understated elegance. On its southern side, which faces a stone patio that is partly shaded by a contemporary wooden pergola, the dwelling has a rubble stone façade, which conveys a much more rustic feel. With a floor area of 550 m², the house includes many living areas on the ground floor as well as four bedrooms upstairs.
The ground floor
The large entrance hall with lime-plastered walls and an ancient terracotta tile floor, opens onto a view of the living rooms and a flight of stone steps that leads to one of the intermediary landings of the main staircase. On the right, an initial room, with tall bookcases and exposed ceiling beams, includes an American billiards table and communicates with a ...
