A medieval, 16th-century, three-storey, half-timbered house, with a garden and garage, in the Lot-et-Garonne area, in Henri IV's former stronghold - r
A medieval, 16th-century, three-storey, half-timbered house, with a garden and garage, in the Lot-et-Garonne area, in Henri IV's former stronghold.
This house is located on the edges of the Lot-et-Garonne and Gers areas, in the very heart of the Pays d'Albret sector, in Nérac, a lively and tourist town. This former stronghold of the kings of Navarre has successfully undergone modernisation without losing any authenticity. On either side of the banks of the River Baïse, linked by the Pont-Vieux bridge, proud silhouettes of townhouses or half-timbered homes stand, surrounded by impressive archways, carriage gates and cobbled streets. The town is renowned for its wealth of historical heritage, including the castle of Henri IV and Queen Margot. As for the surrounding countryside, it is dotted with pretty farmhouses where the famous foie gras is produced. Nérac is a short distance from Agen, a city that is of equal distance from the international airports in Bordeaux and Toulouse, which can both be reached in 1 hour 30 minutes via the A62 motorway. Agen also boasts direct high-speed TGV train links to the French capital in 3 hours 10 minutes. The Atlantic Ocean beaches and Pyrenean ski slopes are less than 150 kilometres away.
Halfway down a small street, in the town's historical district, there is a pedestrian porch that opens into the property's inner courtyard, which is paved with travertine stone slabs and leads to a slightly raised lawned area. Perpendicular to the house, there is a barn used as a garage that opens onto both the narrow street and garden. The building possesses three storeys, a cellar and a converted attic. The entire building was recently renovated with care taken to respect its authenticity and without the use of any visible anachronistic materials. The ground floor level boasts walls and frames around its mullioned windows and door that are made of stone. The upper floors have been lime-rendered, underlining the presence of the half-timbering and the mullioned windows. The interior boasts reversible air conditioning on the ground floor, first floor and a study beneath the rafters. The other rooms are fitted with recently installed electric radiators. Many of the doors and windows are new argon-filled double glazed models, with slightly tinted glass to limit visibility from the outside. Lastly, there are three, four-sectioned mullioned windows with wooden joinery that are not double-glazed.
The half-timbered house
The ground floor
The entrance door opens into a large room bathed in light with an impressively high ceiling boasting exposed beams painted with floral patterns, above a travertine stone floor. Previously referred to as the living room, today it has been transformed into a kitchen, lounge and dining room set around a large stone fireplace. Set aside from this room, a small kitchen has been installed beneath a staircase, smartly hidden by an old sliding door. To the rear, also beneath the staircase, a small cellar possesses capacity for several bottles. From the entrance, a small room is currently used as a vestibule and has a guest bed. It could house an elevator leading to each of the house's different levels. Opposite the entrance, a wooden staircase leads to the upper floors. To one side, a shower room with a lavatory also includes a utility area concealed in a large closet as well as access to the boiler room below.
The first floor
The stairwell is bathed in light through a window to the rear of the house. A small landing leads to four main rooms, including a first discrete and pleasant bedroom. A lounge with a Louis-Philippe style fireplace and a painted ceiling overlooks the garden and is bathed in light through mullioned windows. It is followed by a dining room with an 18th-century fireplace. In the corner, a small office with wood stripped flooring also ...
