An old, 14th-century fortified manor house and its tree-filled garden in southern Burgundy, the birthplace of Charolais cattle - ref 467102
An old, 14th-century fortified manor house and its tree-filled garden in southern Burgundy, the birthplace of Charolais cattle.
This property, in the midst of historic Europe, is on the Central Europe Atlantic Road (RCEA or Route Centre-Europe-Atlantique), linking Mâcon, Moulins and Chalon-sur-Saône in less than an hour. Lyon is 1½ hours away and Geneva 2¼ hours away by motorway. Two TGV train stations, a little over 30 minutes from the estate, provide 90-minute links to Paris.
A weekly market, just a stone's throw from the property, is an invitation to stroll amongst the town's streams and historic houses. All shops and amenities (supermarkets, cinema, sixth-form college, sub-prefecture, etc.) are within walking distance. The bid to get UNESCO classification for the Charolais and Brionnais regions reflects the world-renowned ancestral cattle farming, currently showcased by a starred restaurant just a few metres from the house.
This property stands on a hill dominating a market town. When constructed in the 14th century it was part of a bigger medieval estate that included the neighbouring, listed priory, still in existence. The county of Charolais was then part of the Duchy of Burgundy, independent of the French monarchy. The building still has some outstanding architectural features dating from this period. The local pottery works was installed in the property's parklands during the 19th and 20th centuries. A few conversion works were also carried out at this time: the southern facade was extended and an astonishing ceramic kiln constructed in the parklands. Set on the heights of the town, this property remains extremely quiet and has been meticulously restored over recent years.
The old, stronghold houseThis house, built in a rectangular layout over two levels, is topped with a steep, medieval roofing framework, covered with flat tiles. A tower with a candlesnuffer roof adjoins the main building on the road side. This facade was doubled in the 19th century so as to incorporate modern day features such as a kitchen, a bathroom, etc. The homogeneous medieval facades overlooking the courtyard are enhanced with half-casement and mullioned, ogee windows. Above the entrance door, an engraving in the form of a prayer, evokes various trials and tribulations experienced at the end of the 15th century.
The ground floor
This level comprises several vaulted rooms. The old medieval kitchen still has a wide stone fireplace and an astonishing well which can be reached from inside and outside. This room features cross-ribbed vaults. A vestibule provides access to a second room, used as a cellar and for storing technical equipment. It is followed by a vast vaulted area converted into a lounge. Its luminosity contrasts with the building's medieval rooms. In the most recent extension, several rooms follow one on from the other: a bedroom, a shower room, a back stairway, utility rooms and a laundry room. A vast summer kitchen, looking out over the parklands, has also been added.
The first floor
The first floor is reached via two stairways, one of which is spiral. Vaulted ceilings give way to outstanding medieval grooved beams. A vestibule provides access to a wide lounge, with parquet flooring and a stone fireplace, leading to an old oratory in the tower. This room has a cross-ribbed vault with a keystone bearing a coat-of-arms, supported in the four corners by sculpted corbels. Further on, a landing provides access to a dining room with Japanese wall coverings, a bedroom with a bathroom, a lounge-library illuminated via wide windows and a bedroom with a study. A comfortable, fully fitted kitchen looks out over the street.
The attic
The stairway also provides access to the area under the roof. An impressive roofing framework houses a vast floor surface area, which could be used to extend the ...
