A Belle Epoque villa, with grounds, a swimming pool, outbuildings and a view of the village perched on the hill, at the foot of a royal fortified town
A Belle Epoque villa, with grounds, a swimming pool, outbuildings and a view of the village perched on the hill, at the foot of a royal fortified town in the Lot-et-Garonne area.
At the furthest reaches of the Pays de Serres, the fortified village of Tournon-d'Agenais, dating from the 13th century, is one of the Lot-et-Garonne area's most remarkable fortified towns. Since 2021, it has been recognised as one of France's most beautiful villages and is identifiable thanks to its square bell tower, which is today a water tower. It is one of the region's several famous hilltop villages, with views overlooking the valley. The white stone houses surrounded by former ramparts form a horizontal face of buildings in a prized location, with both the appeal of a green setting and warm yet drought-free countryside. The village is also near to modern towns and the services they house: Agen, where there is a high-speed TGV train station, and Cahors, with motorway access, are both 40 kilometres away. The airports in Toulouse and Bordeaux are respectively 1 hour 30 minutes and 2 hours away.
From the country road and just a few minutes from all essential amenities, a private, 300-metre-long drive forms a lengthy spiral around the property from the north, lined by woods and tall trees, up to the property's gate, from where the eastern façade of the elegant, late-19th century residence looms into view between the trees and shrubs in the garden. After the entrance gate, the gravelled drive widens before the stoop, allowing visitors to disembark from their vehicles, before continuing to the garages several metres further on. The approximately 350-m² villa stands out thanks to its balanced proportions and immaculate architecture, that of a bourgeois residence, in which the façades are punctuated by regular rows of windows and discrete decorative elements, revealing a carefully thought-out construction.
It is made up of a vast kitchen, a lounge, a dining room, six bedrooms and four shower rooms, as well as several service rooms. It pays witness to Belle Epoque period architecture, with its brick and stone, light-coloured rendered walls, inspired by spa town edifices. The large and perfectly aligned windows are fitted with wooden, louvred shutters painted in a warm brown hue that combines well with the decorative details in brick. The gable end is dotted with decorative oculi while the gabled roof is topped by finely crafted ridge cap, giving the building a silhouette that stands out in the Lot-et-Garonne landscape, in the midst of 2.5-hectare grounds boasting tall cedars, oak and ash trees as well as flowering shrubs, in an orderly and harmonious whole. To the south of the house, the stone and wooden outbuildings are made up of a garage, a barn and stables with a riding area. To the west, there is a large patio at the end of which stands a period ornamental balustrade, followed by the swimming pool and view up to the royal fortified village.
The villaThe home has approximately 350 m² of living space spread over three levels. Inside, the vast rooms flooded in light are elegantly laid out. The fireplaces with their distinctive, Art Nouveau inspired characteristics have been perfectly preserved. The layout of the rooms has remained consistent with the original configuration, with a vast hall on each level, allowing easy movement and providing perspective and depth. The central structure that is the main staircase leads to the upper floors and bedrooms with shower rooms.
The ground floor
The double-leaf entrance door with a fanlight window opens onto a flight of seven steps, at the top of which there is another double-leaf door opening into the central hall leading to all the rooms on the ground floor. Opposite the entrance, a lounge leads to a dining room, which itself is next to what was originally an office that ...
