A belle époque villa with nine hectares of grounds, a 13th-century chapel and many outhouses in south-west France, 20 minutes from the city of Mont-d
A belle époque villa with nine hectares of grounds, a 13th-century chapel and many outhouses in south-west France, 20 minutes from the city of Mont-de-Marsan.
In south-west France, 20 minutes from Mont-de-Marsan and just a few kilometres from a market town with shops and schools, the property is set in a moorland landscape with the snow-capped peaks of the Pyrenees as a backdrop. Punctuated by famous medieval fortified towns and remarkable nature reserves, the Landes d'Armagnac combine forests and farmland. Situated off a major tourist route, 1 hr 30 mins from the ski resorts, 1 hr 15 mins from the ocean, and less than 60 km from the town of Pau and its airport, the villa and its outbuildings are ideally located. The climate is mild, influenced by the Atlantic Ocean. The reputation of the local gastronomy is well established.
The property is situated on the edge of the village, in parklands enclosed by low walls and dotted with a few trees. It comprises a number of buildings, including two main edifices: In the centre of the parklands, a Belle Époque residence, surrounded by a formerly gravelled esplanade, faces a high wrought iron entrance gate. 50 m to the south of the main residence, there is a 13th century chapel.
There are also two distinct clusters of buildings, made up of numerous outhouses that formerly served agricultural purposes.
The first, to the north, is long and comprises a flat, an orangery, a winery, a dovecote and garages, accessed via a second entrance to the street and its service gate. Around thirty metres further on, the second building, the so-called "small farm", forms a double U shape. Finally, two other modest constructions are set between the main building and its annexes.
The grounds of 9 hectares, in a single lot, are bounded to the south by a local road that forms an angle with a street running northwards along the property and through the village. Meadows and old, untamed woodlands complete the green expanse.
The villaBuilt in 1910 in the style of the seaside residences in vogue at the time in the "Ville d'Hiver" district of Arcachon, the "Villa des Fleurs" is a four-storey house with a raised ground floor and a gable roof of interlocking tiles with broached eaves and front overhang. It features various elements typical of this style, including tall chimney stacks, fine finials and a two-storey loggia with wooden balconies set against the main facade. Built according to a layout where the two main sections stand at right-angles to each other, the villa's facades display a large number of straight or arched windows, with alternating brick and dressed stone surrounds echoing the corner quoins. Delicate friezes of red and white brick adorn the windowsills and highlight the top of the second floor.
The ground floor
A few steps separate the esplanade, once gravelled and now grassed over, from the cement-tiled loggia sheltering the main entrance to the residence. The double-glazed door, with custom-made ironwork bearing the initials of the family who built the house, reveals a cosy Belle Époque decor frozen in time. A spacious hall is illuminated by the living room's small-paned double French windows and the tall windows of the impressive half-landing of the staircase. The double quarter-turn wooden staircase is flanked by a wooden wardrobe with finely carved banisters. The elegant and refined reception room features a fireplace with a marble surround topped by an overmantel mirror. It is bathed in light from a pair of French windows opening onto the loggia. Following on from here are a dining room, also with a fireplace, and a comfortable study with its own entrance from the loggia. The walls and ceilings of all the living rooms are richly decorated with painted imitation wood mouldings. The period wallpaper still reveals a refined decor with Art Nouveau motifs. ...
