A minor seminary in the medieval village of Nozeroy, with 3,000 m² of buildings to restore and surrounded by grounds of more than 1.5 hectares, on the
A minor seminary in the medieval village of Nozeroy, with 3,000 m² of buildings to restore and surrounded by grounds of more than 1.5 hectares, on the Plateau of Champagnole, in the Jura region.
Abutting the foothills of the Haut-Jura Natural Park, at nearly 800 metres in altitude, the former minor seminary of Nozeroy is a vestige of the educational and religious fervour that swept the region in the 19th century. From the terrace of the main building, there are breath-taking views of the pastureland below and the forests that blanket the far-off ridges, while Nozeroy, a medieval village with 500 inhabitants and recognised as one of the "Prettiest villages in Franche-Comté", is located 15 minutes from the high-speed rail station in Frasne, which provides service to Paris in two hours and 50 minutes, Lausanne in 56 minutes and Dijon in one hour and 16 minutes. In addition, the A39 motorway, 41 minutes away from Nozeroy, makes it possible to reach Paris in four hours and 50 minutes, Lyon in two hours and 25 minutes and Dijon in 1.5 hours, whereas Geneva and Lausanne are one hour and 50 minutes and one hour and 20 minutes away, respectively, by motor vehicle.
In terms of tourism, the Rousses ski resort is 58 minutes away, the Lake of Chalain is 34 minutes away, the Hérisson waterfalls are 45 minutes away and the charming villages of Château-Chalon and Baume-les-Messieurs are 38 and 41 minutes away, respectively.
Featuring many cultural activities based on its glorious past, which dates back to its founding in 1264 by Jean de Chalon, a member of a powerful and noble Burgundy family, Nozeroy hosts the famous medieval "Storming of the Ramparts" festival, a reminder of this splendid era, which takes place on the last Sunday in July, as well as a large flea market on the first Saturday in August. Attracting many visitors, the village also hosts a number of concerts and other cultural events that inject life into this small hamlet throughout the year.
Accessible from a village street where two metal double-leaf gates, set apart from one another, provide either pedestrian or vehicular access, the property includes, first and foremost, an immense L-shaped building with understated and massive architecture. Built between 1811 and 1830, it is topped with steeply-pitched interlocking red tile gabled or three-sided roofs, while its weathered exteriors, worn down over the years and in need of a partial restoration, alternate between visible ashlar stone, cement plaster and ancient metal cladding, vestiges of the building's long history.
Featuring multiple rows of symmetrical rectilinear or low-arched windows, which cadence its exteriors and provide views of its immense flagstone courtyard - supported by stone retaining walls and surrounded with old metal fencing - the grounds below as well as the distant neighbouring dwellings, in the background, a small bell tower and an adjacent chapel recall the premises' initial vocation. With three floors over a basement level and topped with an immense attic, the main building primarily faces east and west and enjoys completely unobstructed views of the setting sun.
As for the chapel, built in 1875, it abuts the main building, boasts a floor area of approximately 325 m² and features the classical characteristics of churches from the 19th century with an ashlar stone exterior, arched windows and an interlocking tile gable roof - except over the choir, which is crowned with a zinc semi-conical roof.
Located on the slope of a former oppidum, which preceded the founding of Nozeroy, the property's immense grounds, planted with lawn and trees and surrounding the minor seminary's buildings, are naturally inclined and organised into a succession of different terraced levels, while, the property, on the outskirts of the village, still radiates a majestic presence and promises a full renaissance once extensive interior and exterior renovations have been ...
