A renovated limestone dwelling from the 19th century, its guesthouse and barn on 4.5-hectare grounds, perched up on a hill near Tournon-d'Agenais - re
A renovated limestone dwelling from the 19th century, its guesthouse and barn on 4.5-hectare grounds, perched up on a hill near Tournon-d'Agenais.
In south-western France, within the vicinity of Villeneuve-sur-Lot and not far from the royal fortified city of Tournon-d'Agenais, the former farm, sheltered from view on its grounds of approximately 4.5 hectares, blends in effortlessly with a landscape typical of this part of Aquitaine, composed of rolling hillsides, farmland and woods. The stone dwelling, topped with a terracotta tile roof and decorated with colourful shutters, reflects the understated elegance of this region's traditional rural architecture, while the surrounding environment combines agricultural heritage with economic vitality, supported by the development of ecotourism and a dynamic local community: green markets, shops, artisans and essential services can all be found in the neighbouring villages. Easily accessible, the property is 40 kilometres from Agen with its high-speed rail station and airport, 50 kilometres from the Bergerac airport, 130 kilometres from the one in Toulouse and 150 kilometres from the city of Bordeaux.
In the peaceful valleys and hillsides of the Lot-et-Garonne department, the property includes an architectural ensemble that blends in harmoniously with the countryside, where each building was purposefully designed to complement the surrounding landscape. According to tradition, the farms in this region are located far apart from one another, at one time separated by fields, but this property only has one neighbour, practically invisible due to its placement to the north of the grounds behind a stone wall, while, from the house or the garden, located halfway up a hill, one's gaze is immediately hypnotised by the unobstructed views of the preserved natural landscape: pastures, a few cows, and, further on, the hills of the Pays de Serre.
Around the buildings, a cluster of tall trees provides a verdant counterpoint to the stone buildings' architecture as well as a shady respite, while the dovecote, set back from the two-storey rectangular main dwelling and built out of local stone, represents an impressive element thanks to its balanced aesthetics. As for the barn, also built out of stone, it completes this bucolic tableau in keeping with the former farm's overall functional and aesthetic feel. Accessible via two separate entrances, each one indicated by a finely crafted gate, which lead to a gravel drive bordered by expertly landscaped Mediterranean vegetation, the property's grounds are arranged into gentle terraces, with both sunnier and more wooded areas, as well as views of the surrounding countryside, while, in places, low stone walls crop up here and there, subtle vestiges of its former agricultural past.
The DwellingLocated on the western and uppermost part of the property, the pointed limestone dwelling's exteriors are cadenced by carefully arranged windows, which are, in turn, highlighted by ashlar stone surrounds and safeguarded by Bordeaux-colour wooden shutters. Topped with a glazed terracotta tile hipped roof with stone chimneys located on either gable end, the house is accessible via a double stone staircase with a black wrought-iron bannister, which leads to the dwelling's front stoop and entrance with its neoclassical influences. Surrounded by ashlar stone, the front door is flanked two lateral pilasters crowned with capitals carved with stylised vegetal patterns and an arched pediment above, while a semi-circular glazed fanlight highlights the entrance's overall elegance and a moulded cornice accentuates the composition's linear aspect.
The ground floor
This floor's layout is separated into two distinct spaces on either side of its longitudinal axis, with, on the southeast side, the kitchen, its dining area and the living room and, on ...
