A 17th century castle with terraces registered as historical monuments, outbuildings, parkland and underground spring, set in 8 hectares of grounds ov
A 17th century castle with terraces registered as historical monuments, outbuildings, parkland and underground spring, set in 8 hectares of grounds overlooking the Charente valley.
Situated in the centre of Atlantic Europe in the Charente area, a popular destination in France thanks to its climate and quality of life, the property is located in what is now known as "Greater Angoulême". Overlooking the River Charente valley from the slopes on which it is built, just 5 minutes from two villages with all the shops you might need every day, the castle is less than 15 minutes from the railway station in the comic strip capital, 1 hour 50 minutes from Paris by TGV train and just 4 hours 30 minutes from Brussels. Situated around 30 minutes from Cognac, it is on the border of the former Angoumois province and "Tuscan Charente" area, famous for their rolling landscapes full of vineyards and woodlands.
From the main road to the south, a large driveway lined with chestnut trees leads to the property gates, to the left of an L-shaped outbuilding to the north-west. A swimming pool at its northern end is protected by a walled enclosure, which extends from the outbuilding to the castle moat, where it becomes a retaining wall. To the right of the outbuilding, an avenue of gnarled hornbeams crosses the grassy areas where fruit trees have been planted. There are a dovecote and a communal oven a few metres further on in the direction of the castle. The main building, which can be reached in less than 50 metres across the grounds, overlooks the River Charente. It is built in an L-shape, which opens onto the sunlit valley it overlooks.
Its two wings, framed by dry moats to the east and west, are bordered by terraces above, with the eastern one, which juts out towards the valley, featuring high arches running the entire length of its base. The west wing, meanwhile, looks as if it is standing on a rock at its end, and the balustrade of the terrace closes off the courtyard on the lower level facing the River Charente, which flows around 300 m below. The castle walls are crowned with crenelations scalloped on machicolations. The low-sloped half-round tile roof is concealed by battlements and the ends of the gutters are in the shape of cannon mouths. The balustrade, at the edge of the dry moat above which the entrance to the residence stands, is only just visible. Beyond this, as you go down towards the west, a house facing the stream stands on the hillside. Moors and coppices stretch out towards the river. Finally, beyond the parkland to the west, grassed areas adjoin the woods on the edge of the property.
The castleThe height of the main building was raised in the 15th century. It adjoins the original 13th century tower, two arrow slits of which remain on the western courtyard facade. The Renaissance construction is L-shaped, with the outside corner facing south. On the east side, the central part of the main building is flanked by two slightly protruding wings. The building suffered as a result of the French Wars of Religion, and in the early 17th century it was transformed into the residence as it is today, with balustrades crowning a double terrace. Because of the castle's dominant position, the ground floor to the south became the first floor with an upper terrace on the river side. On the west side of the exterior, the entrance door, dating back to 1620 and in typical Italian style, is framed by flat pilasters with Ionic capitals and surmounted by a sculpted stone entablature with drapery and flowers. The curved pediment is interrupted by a fire pot adorned with a bouquet of fruit. The upstairs windowsills boast wrought-iron guard railings. The moon, the sun and a winged angel are depicted on the east side of the terrace. The building has small-paned windows and wooden shutters.
The ground floor
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