A chateau, in need of a complete renovation, two dwellings, outbuildings, grounds and meadows extending over 20 hectares, on the outskirts of the Ain
A chateau, in need of a complete renovation, two dwellings, outbuildings, grounds and meadows extending over 20 hectares, on the outskirts of the Ain department and Burgundy, in the Val de Saône natural region.
Not far from the Mâconnais winemaking region and within the Val de Saône, the property is located in a dynamic village - with all shops, amenities and services essential for daily life - along one of France's main thoroughfares connecting Paris to Lyon and Marseille. Easily accessible via the A6 and A40 motorways, as well as the Mâcon-Loché high-speed rail station, located thirty minutes away, which provides service to Paris in two hours, the regional capitals of Dijon and Lyon are also both one hour and 15 minutes away by car, while Geneva can be reached in two hours.
Set back from the village, a long 450-metre lane lined by impressive plane trees, winds its way through the grounds before reaching the property's buildings. Perched on a hill, the chateau precedes a former equestrian outbuilding and a caretaker's cottage, while, a little further on, accessible via a separate drive, former farm buildings include a dwelling and outbuildings. With approximately 20 contiguous hectares distributed evenly around the buildings, they are completely shielded from view and all disturbances.
The ChateauIn all likelihood built in the late 18th century and completed with later adjustments in the 19th century, it is made up of a long symmetrical central building facing west towards the grounds and two right-angle wings to the east, creating a U shape around a central courtyard. With two storeys in addition to an attic level, its slate roof, which will need to be replaced, is punctuated by many windows, while its main façade features a protruding forepart, flanked by two towers, topped with a pediment and buttressed by two balconies supported by columns. Depending on the amount of comfort desired, besides the roof, significant interior renovations will be required, such as expanding the central heating system, creating shower rooms and replacing certain window frames as well as the electricity.
The ground floor
This floor mainly includes the living areas in the central building, as well as the former service rooms, now renovated, in the northern wing. A wide entrance hall decorated with a stone cabochon tile floor and skirting boards painted in green faux marble, features an oak staircase safeguarded by a wrought-iron handrail and provides access to a large drawing room of 46 m² with a straight-plank oak hardwood floor, a marble fireplace, interior shutters and an ornate painted ceiling. As for the smaller sitting room, it is decorated with trompe-l'oeil paintings, moulded wood panelling concealing a cupboard, mitred Herringbone hardwood floors and a ceiling with exposed joists.
In addition, three other living rooms, a dining room, a kitchen and a pantry, which were all renovated, round out this level and have preserved some of their original details, such as stone tile floors, marble or stone fireplaces, an earthenware stove, wainscoting and windows with wrought-iron crémone bolt locking devices.
The upstairs
Accessible via the main staircase as well as two service staircases, a long hallway in the central building leads, on the side facing the grounds, to seven bedrooms and, on the courtyard side, to a formal sitting room, an additional bedroom, a wardrobe and a laundry room. The majority of these rooms have marble fireplaces, crown moulding and hardwood floors, while, on the chateau's northern end, a water column makes it possible to add a shower room, a bathroom and a lavatory here. As for the southern wing, it includes a former library of approximately 48 m², whereas three bedrooms and a shower room were created more recently in the northern wing.
