A villa with art nouveau decor, outbuildings and 4.5 hectares of grounds, nestled in a calm environment between Lyon, Dijon and Geneva - ref 487790
A villa with art nouveau decor, outbuildings and 4.5 hectares of grounds, nestled in a calm environment between Lyon, Dijon and Geneva.
The property is easily accessed via the A6 and A39 motorways, connecting to Geneva, Dijon and Lyon in 1h30. The Mâcon-Lôché and Bourg-en-Bresse TGV high-speed train stations are 40 minutes away. A wide range of day-to-day shops and services can be reached in just 15 minutes.
Between the foothills of the Jura mountains to the east and the banks of the Saône to the west, Burgundy's Bresse region features a plain traversed by streams and ponds, dotted with scattered rural dwellings built out of brick, wood or sometimes white stone.
The secluded estate lies in an undisturbed setting and is accessible via two 800-metre long driveways through the woods. The manor house, built at the beginning of the last century, overlooks the plain, a patchwork of pastures, a river and woods as far as the eye can see, while, behind the dwelling, equestrian outbuildings contain a stable, a covered riding ring, a workshop and a caretaker's cottage.
The manor houseThe ancestors of the current owners built the residence between 1898 and 1903 on an undeveloped site overlooking a vast natural landscape. A country villa with wide openings and floral interiors, it is imbued with a certain carefree spirit, reflecting the Belle Epoque period of relative social and political stability combined with a national economic boom. It has three storeys plus basement and attic, and features brick corner quoins and stone stem walls.
The ground floor
Accessed via a service entrance on the courtyard side and a wide perron with a view, this level contains the reception rooms. A full-width entrance hall floored with cabochon tiles is adorned with frescoes painted by the owners, depicting equestrian and hunting life on the estate. To the rear, a stone staircase provides access to the main floor. There is a wainscoted billiards room featuring stunning painted jute canvases with scenes from Cervantes' novel Don Quixote. A small drawing room with herringbone parquet flooring, opening onto an ornamental greenhouse, is entirely covered in wood panelling and has coffered ceilings and a carved stone fireplace. A small dining room, with cabochon floor tiles, is also entirely panelled. Continuing through, in the north wing, there is a vast reception room with interesting decorative Art Nouveau elements. The flooring is of inlaid parquet, the walls with wainscoting feature paintings of sunflowers and country friezes, and the coffered ceiling has sculpted beams. The centrepiece of the room is an impressive stone fireplace with curved lines and floral motifs. Adorned with the coats of arms of the patrons, it has two stone seats on either side. Next follows a large dining room with cabochon tile flooring and a coffered ceiling. Here, the floral decor has a more exotic feel, with stained glass windows depicting parrots and a frieze of pineapples surrounding the wooden fireplace. The former library has been converted into a kitchen which links to the two dining rooms, with a service staircase nearby.
The first floor
Two landings serve the main staircase and the service stairs. There are six bedrooms, three bathrooms and a separate lavatory on this floor. Most of the rooms have herringbone parquet flooring, wood panelling and marble fireplaces. Some have coffered ceilings, and one boasts striking Art-Nouveau woodwork.
The second floor
Accessed by an oak staircase, it comprises five bedrooms, a bathroom, a former linen room with access to the attic and plenty of storage space. The ceilings are lower than on the previous floors, but the materials used are still of the highest quality: herringbone parquet flooring, wrought-iron espagnolette locks and marble fireplaces.
The basement
Various ...
