Apartment Les Vans (07)
A renovated flat in a late 18th/early 19th century neo-classical mansion at the foot of the Cévennes mountains in the Ardèche. The flat is situated on the first floor of a former townhouse dating from the late 18th to the early 19th century, built in the neo-classical style. Set between the medieval town and the old religious enclosure, in a mainly pedestrianised area, it is surrounded by the residences of illustrious families of merchants, dignitaries, lawyers and doctors, some of whom adopted revolutionary methods. The building can be spotted from the church forecourt and is highlighted by a balcony running along the first floor of its facade, above a modern jewellery shop. The main entrance door with its dressed stone surround is located centrally on the ground floor and opens directly onto the street. It is topped by rectangular French windows with transoms and white-painted shutters opening on to the balcony. The rendered elevation, which is slightly deteriorated, needs to be renovated, a process that has already been approved and will be carried out at no cost to the new owner. A hallway, part of the shared areas, leads from the entrance to the cellars and on to the central staircase. The basement cellars consist of two unaltered adjoining rooms. The first houses the old communal heating system and includes access to the shared garden, which has yet to be tamed given the lack of maintenance of its vegetation in recent years. The second room is used for storage. Although there is currently no formal separation between the plots of the various co-owners in the basement, this could be looked into and put in place subject to agreement. The open newel staircase, of dressed stone with a wrought-iron handrail, terminates on the first floor at a wide landing of sedimentary flagstones bordered by two wide double doors. Today, only the door on the right provides access to the flat, arranged in a U-shape around the main staircase.
$337,600
By Patrice Besse
