A former 19th-century convent and grounds of nearly 7 hectares, on the edge of a village, in the south of the Orne department - ref 601974
A former 19th-century convent and grounds of nearly 7 hectares, on the edge of a village, in the south of the Orne department.
Near the Normandie-Maine Regional Natural Park, Ceaucé is nestled within a wooded landscape, alternating between small verdant valleys and deep woods, while the town, with approximately 1,200 inhabitants and only a 3.5-hour drive from the capital, boasts essential services such as as a primary school, local shops and a weekly green market. Perched on its rocky spur, the nearby medieval village of Domfront, about ten kilometres away, as is Lassay-les-Châteaux, is a popular tourist destination thanks to its rich historical heritage, washhouses and small streets lined with flowers, whereas the area is accessible via both the airports in Rennes and Caen as well as the train stations in Flers and Laval, which provide railway service to Paris in three hours.
Not far from the village, the property is set back from a small road and concealed behind a front garden planted with trees, while a lane winds its way through this verdant setting and leads to the former convent's impressive main façade, facing southeast.
Built out of regularly dressed stone, the four-storey edifice, designed with monastic symmetry, features vertical windows with stone surrounds, a central pediment, a slate gable roof topped with a small bell tower, chimneys and skylights, whereas two sets of exterior double staircases lead to the building's two entrances, the main one of which is located in the middle of the façade and stands out from the edifice's other rectangular doors and windows thanks to its semi-circular arch crowned with a stone cross.
As for the back, a perpendicular central wing is extended by the chapel's choir, which features a Gothic arch window and a gambrel roof covered in slate tiles, while several different structures were built on either side: a room level with the convent's main floor and its living areas, as well as a turret with a lavatory on each floor.
Set back from the convent to the northeast, the two-storey former presbytery is currently being renovated, whereas, nearby, a stone washhouse stands next to an old wall. In addition, the premises also include several outbuildings, including a small sentry box, a workshop topped with an immense patio and a chicken coop. Lastly, behind the buildings, immense grounds of nearly 6.5 hectares, including meadows, orchards, animal pens, thickets, hedgerows and farmland, reach all the way to the horizon, while a stream slices through the property's verdant fields.
The Convent
The basement
Semi-underground, this floor was once used for service-related purposes. Today, the former tiled refectory has been transformed into an area for relaxation, with two rooms, one for games, the other for fitness, while the adjacent space includes a furnace room, a laundry room and a large workshop. Accessible from the outside via three staircases, this level is primarily lit to the southeast and northwest by high windows with wide embrasures.
The garden-level floor
This floor contains a chapel with a two-bay nave and a cement tile floor located on the lower floor of the central perpendicular wing. Illuminated by four high windows, pilasters support the semi-circular coffered arch that precedes the choir, while the latter, with hardwood floors, is topped with a semi-circular vault and its flat apse features a pointed Gothic arch window.
The first floor
Featuring an open gallery of approximately 24 x 6.5 metres, with hardwood floors and a series of windows to the southeast overlooking the front garden, this floor is accessible via the building's central entrance. Directly opposite, a door with an ornate fanlight leads to the chapel, while on one end of the room is a kitchen with a tile floor and, on the other, a living room is organised around ...
