An 18th century listed private mansion, wooded parkland, lodges and outbuildings, in the historic centre of a Burgundy town - ref 400229
An 18th century listed private mansion, wooded parkland, lodges and outbuildings, in the historic centre of a Burgundy town.
The property is situated in the Yonne department, in the centre of a town with the "Villes et pays d'art et d'histoire" label, in the north-west of the Burgundy-Franche-Comté region. This listed building overlooks a square next to a church built between the 12th and 16th centuries on the foundations of a Merovingian monastery, where the bishops of Auxerre were buried. The private mansion is close to all essential shops, as well as a hospital and numerous schools. There is a train station with trains reaching Paris-Bercy in 2 hours.
The private mansion stands in a tree-lined square. A double carriage entrance opens onto a paved passageway covered with an antique carpet. The passageway leads to an inner courtyard, flanked by the two wings of the main dwelling and enclosed by an elegant listed wrought iron gate leading to the parkland. Planted with trees and flowers, it is criss-crossed by well-designed paths lined with stone benches and ancient statues, hidden in the lush vegetation. A stone well backs onto the property, which also boasts a heated swimming pool and two lodges with restored facades. Slightly set back, a timber-framed house and its greenhouse were once the caretaker's lodge.
The private mansionThe monument was listed by decree on 27 June 1983. The protection extends to the façades and roofs facing the street and courtyard, the stairway and its wrought iron banister, the small ground floor lounge, the large lounge and dining room on the first floor, the entrance gates to the garden and the two lodges in the parkland. In the 16th century, the barns of the priory of Sainte-Eusèbe church were built here. Squire and King's Councillor Joseph Deschamps bought the fiefdom of Charmelieu in 1730, hence the name of the town house: "Deschamps de Charmelieu". Several noble families succeeded one another over the centuries until 1913, when the industrialist Georges Guilliet took possession of the property and sold it to a relative, who continues to occupy it to this day. The building is three storeys high with a cellar underneath. The north facade, facing the street, features several large and small-paned windows. With arched tops with glass transoms, they all have a stone keystone above them. The initials of the former owner are inscribed in gold leaf on the finely chiselled balcony railings: ADC (Augustin Deschamps de Charmelieu). A blue double carriage entrance with an imposing knocker leads into the building. The four-sided slate roof features three dormer windows. The south façade, facing the courtyard, is laid out in a U-shape, with the main building and two wings set at right angles to each other. The first wing to the west, known as the "Soufflot wing", was built in the 19th century. The second is called the "Eusèbe wing". The first wing to the west is two storeys high, with a façade featuring large picture windows on the ground floor, while the first floor has the same windows as the main building. High above, a terrace with a stone balustrade has a good view of the parkland. The second wing to the east has French windows on the ground floor. The paved courtyard is enclosed by a wrought iron gate surmounted by the coronet of the Baron Deschamps de Charmelieu, decorated with two eagles on either side and embossed with the arms of Burgundy.
The ground floor
The main entrance hall has black and white cabochon paving stones. A moulded double door opens onto a large room that has been converted into a billiards room. There is an open fireplace resting on large Burgundy stone slabs. A hall leads to a guest toilet with an authentic white porcelain washbasin. A small hallway leads to an access door to a cellar. This is followed by the hall containing the grand ...
