A 16th-century village house featuring covered walkways, an inner courtyard and a swimming pool, just 40 minutes from Toulouse - ref 843652
A 16th-century village house featuring covered walkways, an inner courtyard and a swimming pool, just 40 minutes from Toulouse.
Situated in the south of Tarn-et-Garonne, on the banks of the Garonne, between Toulouse and Montauban, the village where the house is located - whose origins date back to the Palaeolithic era - flourished in the 13th century. Its historic centre has a strong medieval character with its half-timbered facades and narrow streets. The area, a Natura 2000 site, enjoys a temperate climate and a rich culinary tradition. The internationally renowned vineyards of the South-West provide the perfect accompaniment to the local cuisine. The small village offers all the amenities of a thriving community: shops, restaurants, a library, a cinema, doctors and a pharmacy, and schools within walking distance. It also has a secondary school, whilst a renowned lycee is less than 15 minutes' drive away. Just 30 minutes from Montauban and its TGV station, which serves Bordeaux and Paris, and 40 minutes from Toulouse-Blagnac Airport.
Ideally situated between Toulouse and Montauban, the property lies at the heart of the medieval historic centre. Bordering a quiet square and facing east, its main facade overlooks a semi-circular arch that once housed the front of an old shop. Today, it frames a blue-painted wooden entrance door. Worn by five centuries of comings and goings, a stone marks the threshold of the property. Built in an L-shape and oriented east-west, the house stands three storeys high above two cellars and is protected by canal-style tiled roofs with two or three pitches, from which four chimney stacks rise. It features half-timbered and fired brick facades typical of the local or bourgeois architecture of Quercy and, beyond that, of much of south-western France. The result of the merger of three former buildings, the house, which covers an area of over 390 m², is divided into sections, with the two storeys connected by a unique walkway. These levels comprise six bedrooms, three bathrooms and two shower rooms, whilst the ground floor houses the living and reception areas. A landscaped inner courtyard featuring a swimming pool offers its occupants a sheltered outdoor space, protected from city noise and prying eyes.
The house
The ground floor
Paved with large terracotta tiles, an entrance hall leads to two reception rooms. Facing south-west, a first living room enjoys generous sunlight, provided by two double windows with access to the inner courtyard, and a dark carved wooden fireplace, which occupies half a wall. It flows naturally into a dining room facing the same way, which connects to a second living room featuring a carved dark wood fireplace. These two spaces could be combined to form a vast, open-plan reception area. In this lounge, a spiral staircase leads to the first floor. Lit by a large patio door with a black metal frame, a corridor runs alongside the inner courtyard. Surmounted by the first level of a dark-wooded gallery, it leads to a kitchen with white-painted beams, terracotta floor tiles and a fireplace in need of restoration, which opens onto the courtyard. The corridor also leads to the inner courtyard and a majestic staircase of dark oak, which rises nobly to the upper floors. Finally, two separate toilets and a storage area discreetly complete this level.
The first floor
With a cement tile floor, a landing leads to a first bathroom and a corridor, which leads to two bedrooms, a second staircase and separate toilets. The first bedroom is adjoined by a bathroom. The floors of these first three rooms are laid with large terracotta tiles in shades of pink typical of the region. The bathroom features a dark grey marble fireplace veined with white. Running the length of the room, it opens onto a bedroom and its dressing room. Light pine parquet flooring adds ...
