A 16th-century chateau, its drawbridge and water-filled moats surrounded by grounds of a little more than 5 hectares, two hours from Paris, in the mid
A 16th-century chateau, its drawbridge and water-filled moats surrounded by grounds of a little more than 5 hectares, two hours from Paris, in the middle of a Burgundy village.
The property is located towards one end of the Baulches Valley, in a small village not far from the historic city of Auxerre. With many essential shops for daily life, an SNCF train station provides service to Paris-Bercy in two hours, while a Flamboyant Gothic style church, presiding over the middle of the village, is the pride of its inhabitants thanks to its storied past: in 1515 the villagers were invited by their lords to allocate a twentieth of their grain harvest to the construction of a new church, on which a salamander, the symbol of François I, can still be seen today at the top of the edifice's northern side, in tribute to the king.
According to archival records, the chateau was built in the 14th century by the lords of Baulches and was used as a residence for the captains of the garrison before it was reorganised in the late 16th century and then once again in the 18th. What remains today after these transformations is an 18th-century monument, built over a platform of 50 x 50 metres surrounded by wide moats of more than 10 metres and closely connected to the memory of the Arnaud de Châteauvieux family, lord of said chateau. As for the property's fortified gatehouse, restored according to standard practices, it once contained a drawbridge that provided access over the moats.
A wide bridal bath connects the village to the chateau, where the property's gate opens onto a Calvary surrounded by a large circular swath of lawn, which, is in turn, encircled by a drive, providing vehicle parking. From here, a small lane bordered by a low stone wall branches into two segments - once past the bridge decorated with two stone vases - which curve around a central lawn before finally reaching the court of honour. As for the gatehouse's portcullis, now transformed into a tall gate, it provides vehicle access to the chateau's court of honour, flanked by a pavilion on each end and landscaped with large pruned yew trees in the middle. Surrounded by moats, the water for which is supplied by a natural spring flowing from a shimmering blue fountain, on the northern side of the chateau is a stone patio, followed by a bridge that spans the moats, one end of which is safeguarded by a tall ornate gate with fine gold-plated motifs that gives directly onto the grounds with its paths lined by plane or lime trees. A pond that has been there since the chateau's construction and now transformed into a swimming pool, is located directly opposite the chateau, while a stone deck with sculpted figures as well as ancient benches, antique statues, vases, a pond and a small stream embellish the premises, cadenced by multi-century trees and abundant flora. In addition, a wooden chalet, surrounded by lush vegetation, houses a sauna, whereas, set back a ways, a chapel seems to watch over the property and, a little further on, there is an orchard with greenhouses, beehives and small wooden sheds, used as workshops.
Last, but not least, standing apart from the other buildings in a semi-circular courtyard are the caretaker's cottage, a dwelling for the chateau's employee and several garages that can hold about fifteen vehicles total.
The ChateauFacing north-south, the three-storey building is symmetrically cadenced on its northern and southern exteriors by many small-paned double casement windows, safeguarded by finely-sculpted wrought-iron guardrails, while the chateau's only decorative elements are its ashlar stone window/door surrounds, some of which are topped with low arches and keystones, as well as a stringcourse and cornice. Located in the middle of its southern façade, the main entrance - glass double doors topped with an entablature - is crowned ...
