castles for sale International (page 7)

A 19th-century Palladian chateau, its outbuildings, tree-filled grounds, a swimming pool and vegetable garden, on the border of the Corrèze and Cantal departments. Seen from above, the chateau’s footprint is a reminder that it was built below the vestiges of a fortified castle constructed around 1470, which once belonged to the same family. Located on the outskirts of the village and nestled within a verdant setting, from its entrance gate, a lane skirts the grounds’ immense expanses of lawn before arriving at the chateau. Steeped in the heritage of French Palladian dwellings from the early 19th century, when Palladio’s influence was combined with local classicism, the use of carefully dressed blonde stone and the regularity of the stonework conveys the desire to make the building as durable as possible, according to a rational architectural ideal, while its white louvred shutters help lighten the chateau’s overall and impressive heft. Surrounded by a wide array of tall trees: limes, thuyas, beeches and different resinous varieties, directly opposite the chateau, several metres from the swimming pool and skirting a portion of the wall that separates the property from a private drive, a perennial flowerbed is planted with rosebushes in an array of shimmering colours. In addition, a barn, adjacent to the chateau, is used as a garage and the machine room for the swimming pool, while, set back at a distance, a small 16th-century manor house, with its own garden and a central staircase tower, abuts the grounds’ southern entrance. As for the grounds, they include a variety of different spaces, such as a vegetable garden, a piece of land zoned for construction and two grassy plots, whereas four agricultural parcels with two barns, each with 400 m², can be purchased with the property at an additional price.

The “Mas de la Brune”, a listed, Renaissance-style gem, its 4 ha of parklands and its gardens at the foot of the Alpilles mountains in Eygalières. At the end of a row of two-hundred-year-old horse chestnut trees, three interconnected constructions comprise the buildings on this predominantly wooded, 4-ha property. The first is the Renaissance-style manor house, known as the “Mas de la Brune”, constructed in 1572; the only building of this type, standing in the middle of the land, rising up like a nave, proudly showing visitors the prow of its watch-turret. Directly adjoining the manor, a more recent construction dating from the 18th century stands in the shade of a three-hundred-year-old lime tree. This building once housed the staff accommodation. And lastly, on the east side, where a perimeter wall no doubt once existed, a rehabilitated farmhouse is separated from the manor by a row of cypress trees. Opening on to a vast courtyard that extends behind the French formal garden, it acts as a link with the rest of the parklands, where the permanent singing of the precious water, coming down from the Alpilles Mountains via the canal of the same name, can be heard. The French Historic Monument listing, dating from the 9 August 1924, applies solely to the “Mas de la Brune”, already showing on Cassini’s 18th century map under the name of “Grand Mas”. Some say it was constructed for the consul Pierre-Bruno-Isnard, who gave it the feminine version of his surname, whilst others maintain it was for an alchemist, whose name is long forgotten. In both cases, this outstanding building, entirely constructed from Baux stone, was probably built by master mason, Gaston-Flayelle, native of the Vivarais region, who also designed the “Hôtel de Manville” in Les-Baux-de-Provence. The size of the manor house, its biblical paraphrases sculpted on the façade, like a big open book, and including the secret number of steps of its spiral stairway tend to reinforce the hypothesis of an alchemist’s home. A spacious tiled swimming pool, cleverly concealed from onlookers in a copse of laurel bushes, has been installed a good distance from the main house. And lastly, a carpark, out of sight of the manor but able to take ten or so cars, has been laid out in the shade of mulberry plane trees.

An elegant 19th century chateau, its orangery, guest houses, water feature and 8.5 hectares of grounds, just 40 minutes from Toulouse city centre . The main entrance to the estate is situated away from the main thoroughfares, and leads to an earthen esplanade bordered by a low wall protecting a cypress hedge. Braced by two fluted, rusticated columns with floral motifs, the wrought iron gate with its fine scrolls opens onto a driveway that winds through the parkland featuring centuries-old trees. To the left, perched on a small hill, the five-storey chateau overlooks the entire estate. Built on the site of a former 16th-century fortified castle, it has a four-sided slate roof. Its perron offers a view over the park and its lawn, which gently slopes towards the main entrance. To the west of the chateau, there is a dovecote with arcades and a pagoda-like flat-tile roof topped by a lantern. The remaining outbuildings are situated to the south, in the eastern part of the grounds: they comprise villas that have been turned into gîtes (guest lodgings), as well as another annexe awaiting restoration. Opposite the chateau, a water feature takes pride of place in the centre of the lawn, bordered by centuries-old trees. To the right, there is a swimming pool with pool house, followed by an orangery. The orangery is bordered by a terrace that runs along one side of the pond and preceded by a parking area. Finally, a track at the back leads to one of the estate's secondary entrances. It should be noted that the estate, which is still in activity, could be sold in the form of two companies: a SCI (non-trading property company) owning the land and a SARL (limited liability company) operating the estate, which will manage events and hospitality rentals. As a result, the property benefits from attractive tax incentives.

A family chateau where a famous novelist lived, tucked away in the beautiful countryside of France’s Anjou province. The chateau stands in the shade of age-old trees that tower in English-style grounds. The edifice was recently restored. Its roofing, insulation, electricity, plumbing, windows and sanitation system were renovated. Its 40-metre-long facade stretches from north to south. The chateau has a main section with dual-aspect rooms. This section is framed between a pavilion at its north end and a second pavilion at its south end. Two towers also adjoin it. One of these towers houses a chapel. To the south and west of the dwelling, there are 6,500m² of tree-dotted grounds that are easy to maintain. The property was the family home of the famous French novelist Hervé Bazin. The current owner recreated the atmosphere of Bazin’s novel ‘Vipère au Poing’ here and opened the chateau to visitors. The property has been entirely adapted to comply with norms for France’s accreditation for a building to be open to the public. It now resembles a museum and can be used as a business.

In the Quercy Blanc, a renovated medieval castle to be rehabilitated, its terrace, gardens, outbuildings, and lands. Framed by two square columns made of white stone, a large gate with slender gates marks the entrance to the estate. Bordered on one side by cedars, a driveable path leads through the lands of the castle. It winds between the first outbuildings: on the left, a barn; on the right, a building that housed several functions related to breeding. Then appears the ancient fortress, built on the rock at the top of the hill, raised over three levels and oriented north-south. It is embellished with a spiral staircase tower and a dovecote. Mainly made of stone and occasionally of brick, its facades, punctuated quite regularly with mainly straight openings and topped with a four-pitched roof of canal tiles, reveal its history, documented from the 11th century. It is surrounded by partly enclosed gardens and, to the south, a grassy and tree-lined terrace. Finally, behind the second outbuilding, an agricultural shed completes the built ensemble.This description has been automatically translated from French.

On the footsteps of Joan of Arc, a small village castle from the 16th century. The property is located in the center of the village, overlooking the plain, facing the church. It consists of the union of two buildings made of stone covered with lime plaster. The first building aligns with the street, probably an old agricultural outbuilding, on two levels with an ornate corner console, four openings, three bull's-eye windows, and a wooden garage door. It extends perpendicularly into a main part preceded by a gravel courtyard at the entrance, a terrace at the back with a garden, and a slope planted with conifers, shrubs, and fruit trees on the south gable. The whole also includes a dependency on a single level, covered with mechanical tiles, extending from the old agricultural outbuilding. The entire main building, the facades and roofs of the secondary structure, the footprint of the courtyard, and the enclosing wall with the old gate are classified as a Historical Monument.This description has been automatically translated from French.

In Allier, at the gates of Moulins, a Renaissance castle developed over the centuries, partially listed as a Historical Monument, set on a landscaped park of 8 hectares. At the heart of a vast park of more than 8 hectares, set back from the city's buildings and surrounded by meadows, the property is accessible via a communal dirt road. An iron gate framed by two stone pillars leads to a long path through the park where the silhouette of the castle appears. Composed of two wings in an 'L' shape, it opens to the south side of the park and to the north around a gravel courtyard bordered by brick outbuildings.This description has been automatically translated from French.

An 1850s mansion, with a wine store and estate keeper’s house, in 2 hectares of landscaped grounds, 45 minutes from Lyon, on top of a hill in the Beaujolais vineyards. This estate was previously a winemaking property surrounded by vines. It includes the around 700-m² mansion facing east over the grounds. To the left, via a separate entrance, the winemaking buildings stand, including two which are dedicated to equipment storage and, to the north, the almost 1,000-m² wine store. Next to it, the estate keeper’s house overlooks the walled vegetable garden that was previously used to provide food for the estate’s residents and workers. The large circular grounds surround the main residence.

A 19th-century mansion with former outbuildings in 1-hectare grounds, in the centre of a village in the northwest of the Vendée area. The property is located in the village’s centre but is protected by 1 hectare of uninterrupted land, set around a 19th-century mansion, its outbuildings and a vast, walled orchard and vegetable garden. From the street, there are two successive entrances: to the north, a gate that has become the everyday entrance leads, via an open space, to a gravelled esplanade used for car parking, while to the south, the historical entrance opens in front of the mansion’s southern and most remarkable façade. The approximately 440-m² residence was erected in in 1881 and displays a balanced arrangement that mixes classical rigour with romantic ingenuity. It stands out thanks to its slate roofs topped by tall brick chimney stacks and punctuated by dormers with sculpted pediments. The rendered walls are dotted with tall windows equipped with louvred shutters and granite frames. The regularly shaped central section is flanked to the west by a rectangular tower and to the east by a round tower topped by a slender pepper-pot roof. The deep red central entrance door, framed by pilasters, stands atop a stone stoop that can be reached from a panoramic lawned terrace overlooking the tree-lined and flowery grounds. The Italian style outbuildings, known locally as the Clissonnais style, run alongside the west of the residence and extend to the former stabling area, which are remains of the original farm buildings. To the rear, there is an approximately 4,000-m² orchard and vegetable garden.

A 19th-century chateau with guest accommodations, swimming pool and grounds, perched along the banks of the Saône River, 35 minutes from Dijon in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region. A tall wall conceals the entire property from view, except for the tops of a few trees visible from the road. Accessible via an automatic entrance gate that opens onto a parking area, a landscaped drive – bordered on one side by the annexe with its three garages and, on the other, a verdant arbour with views of the Saône River – leads to the entrance of the L-shaped chateau, located in the middle of the property and adorned with a tower topped with glazed tiles and an exterior brick walkway. Separated from the property’s outbuilding by a gravel courtyard, the main dwelling includes ten guest accommodations, while the swimming pool and the entrance to the property’s vaulted cellars are located in front of the main façade, facing south. As for its landscaped terraced grounds, they slope down behind the chateau all the way to the Saône River, where a path provides gentle access to the landing stage and an immense space along the water’s edge.

A vast brick and stone mansion with a 20th-century extension, in the middle of a small town in the Hauts-de-France region, 8 km from the Belgian border. The mansion, which takes its name from a former mendicant order in Syria, was initially built as a convent. Construction work on it began in 1724 and was finished in 1729, thanks to funding obtained by the nuns from Duchess Marie-Célestine de Holstein-Rethwisch. In 1792, in the fury of the French Revolution, the outside chapel and part of the cloisters were destroyed before the buildings were rented, between 1801 and 1863, by a private owner to the local authorities to host the police services and prison. It was then purchased in 1927 by the municipality and transformed into a hospice which was officially inaugurated in 1933. In the meantime, between 1873 and 1885, it was revamped as a stately home for the Moreau de la Tour-Godard-Desmaret family. Lastly, from 1979 to 1983, as well as in 1989, the building was modernised with an extension to the south, part of which was demolished several years ago. An entrance porch with a slate roof leads into the grounds in front of the mansion to the east. The main façade, with three storeys, stands out thanks to its brick and stone settings as well as the symmetry of its central section. In the second half of the 19th century, a scroll pediment and two balconies were added to the initial construction of 1724, on the western façade. Additionally, the main section has a half hipped slate roof dotted with hipped dormers and a chimney stack. To the north, there is a wing with a square tower topped by a slate pavilion roof with a zinc ridge cap, while to the south there is a wing with a similar roof. To the west, two flights of stone steps lead down into the grounds, which spread around the mansion over approximately 7,000 m² and include lawns and copses as well as almost 1,000 m² which can be built upon.

A 15th-century chateau, listed as a regional historical monument, its dwellings, pond and pastureland, the whole resembling a peaceful hamlet on 21 hectares in the historic Bourbonnais province. The name of the village translates into English as “stone chateau” and, perched on a rocky outcrop, the fortified chateau with its adjacent Romanesque church has overlooked the surrounding rural countryside since the 11th century. The property for sale takes up a large part of the neighbouring village of one hundred inhabitants with its chateau, three dwellings and a mill, all on a parcel of real estate totalling 21 hectares of unoccupied pastureland, woods and a lake.

One hour from Paris, in Oise, a 13th-century castle with tourism activities, seminars, and rental residence. The castle, built in the 13th century by the Count of Clermont, stands out for its location above the Oise valley. Constructed from dressed stone from Saint-Maximin, extracted from local quarries, it was originally a medieval fortress that has retained its right-angled plan and its three irregular round towers, which testify to its initial defensive function. Over the centuries, the castle has gone through many renovations, particularly under the impetus of the Madaillan de Lesparre family, who undertook significant restoration work between the 15th and 17th centuries. Henry IV, close to Jean de Madaillan, stayed there several times, as did Cardinal Odet de Coligny. Much later, as the residence of the Baron of Condé in the second half of the 19th century, the castle was transformed without losing its original character. The building has approximately 1,000 m² of living space spread over five levels: a basement, a ground floor, two floors, and attics. The ground floor houses three reception rooms, one of which is located in the former armory. The upper floors are now divided into four independent apartments, complemented by workspaces that combine residential life with professional activity. At the façade, a double stone staircase leads to an elevated terrace bordered by balustrades. The uniformly distributed windows, the steep slate roof, and the overall sobriety reflect the successive transformations that have successfully combined medieval austerity with classical harmony. The park, covering an area of about two hectares, shares part of its land in a co-ownership that includes a few villas without disrupting the coherence of the estate.This description has been automatically translated from French.

An 18th-century chateau near Beaune, in the peace and quiet of the Burgundy countryside, surrounded by majestic topiary trees and 15 hectares of parklands, meadows and woods. One has to get a little lost to find the chateau. The road first runs alongside an impressive dovecote situated outside the perimeter walls, like a watchtower, then ends at the threshold of a sober gate flanked by two stone pillars. The unobstructed panoramic view reveals the chateau and its flat-tiled roof. It is slightly elevated and bordered by a raised garden adorned with stately topiary elements. The symmetrical ochre facade features a protruding gable pediment with an oeil-de-boeuf window in the centre. It is flanked by two small wings, one of which has a slate roof. At its feet, a line of pruned box hedges shelters four sculptures that seem to watch over the property. In the centre, the vegetation gives way to a perron with a few steps leading to the forecourt and its monumental yew topiaries. On either side of the esplanade, the numerous brick outbuildings with small flat tile roofs harmoniously complement the overall picture. Near the former grape harvesting shed, a large stone watering basin has been transformed into a water feature.

In Saintonge, a late 19th century chateau with outbuildings and park covering 30 ha, crossed by a tree-lined river. A few houses past the village church square, the large gate opens up to the setting sun, to the west of the estate. While the southern facade of the chateau can be made out in the distance, a house and its outbuildings, known as 'the farm', are immediately to the right. Follow a vast barn, formerly a stable, and some workshops and garages. The driveway to the chateau is bordered with large trees. To the left of the main building, a small dwelling is set back from the master residence. In front of the latter, a basin with a fountain stretches along an alley for about 200 m, which leads to the main entrance gate to the south. To the east of the chateau, a very old, circular moat separates the park with its large trees, some of which bear fruit, from the estate's meadows. A bridge crosses the eastern pastures up to the river that meanders through the estate from north to south.

A 15th-century chateau on a 13-hectare estate, an hour from Lyon. Protected from all visual and audible nuisances, this Renaissance-style chateau has been lived in since the Gallo-Roman era. It is reached via a lane going through a wood, concealing all of the buildings. Gates open on to a large courtyard which, set in the middle of an estate spanning 13 continuous hectares of woods and meadows, is bordered by all of the buildings. The limits are visible, marked by tall trees forming a natural perimeter wall. Destroyed by fire in 1594 during the Holy League Wars, the chateau was rebuilt immediately afterwards. Restored, it still currently features stone mascarons representing people on the west facade of the large interior courtyard. Jeanne-Chézard-de-Matel, founder of the Order of the Incarnate Word, was born here. The Poulot family inherited the property at the end of the 19th century.

In Haute-Corrèze, on the edge of a village, a 15th-century restored castle, with outbuildings and ponds, on a 73-hectare estate, more than 21 hectares of which are woods and land. The castle, whose oldest parts date back to the 15th century, was built on the probable site of a feudal motte from the 9th century. Its layout essentially follows the structure of the medieval walls, documented since the 13th century, which still organizes the site today. The north facade faces the village church and a neo-Gothic chapel of the estate built in 1898. It is integrated into the enclosing wall, which extends east and west and delineates immediate access to the property. Two gates provide access to the estate. To the northeast, the first leads to the gardens, parking areas, annex buildings, a swimming pool, and a passage to an honor courtyard. The second gate opens onto a driveway that runs along the western side of the castle to the honor courtyard. The stone facades and slates from Travassac have undergone complete restoration. The gravel honor courtyard is bordered by the two main wings, also called the "small" and "large" parts, built with three levels and arranged at a right angle. The courtyard is closed off to the south by a fortified wall that overlooks a zone of dry moats. The two wings are separated by a passageway that connects the courtyard to the back of the castle, its dependencies, gardens, and swimming pool. The small part extends along a north-south axis around a rectangular building flanked by a residential tower. The large part, oriented east-west, consists of several buildings and towers, including a spiral staircase tower and a square tower marking the angle of the right angle. To the south, an inner enclosing wall marks the transition to the estate's land and contributes to the staging of the castle, established as a belvedere. It is punctuated by stone staircases and, near the swimming pool, by a circular turret with a pepper-box roof.This description has been automatically translated from French.

A 16th-century chateau, its drawbridge and water-filled moats surrounded by grounds of a little more than 5 hectares, two hours from Paris, in the middle of a Burgundy village. According to archival records, the chateau was built in the 14th century by the lords of Baulches and was used as a residence for the captains of the garrison before it was reorganised in the late 16th century and then once again in the 18th. What remains today after these transformations is an 18th-century monument, built over a platform of 50 x 50 metres surrounded by wide moats of more than 10 metres and closely connected to the memory of the Arnaud de Châteauvieux family, lord of said chateau. As for the property’s fortified gatehouse, restored according to standard practices, it once contained a drawbridge that provided access over the moats. A wide bridal bath connects the village to the chateau, where the property’s gate opens onto a Calvary surrounded by a large circular swath of lawn, which, is in turn, encircled by a drive, providing vehicle parking. From here, a small lane bordered by a low stone wall branches into two segments – once past the bridge decorated with two stone vases – which curve around a central lawn before finally reaching the court of honour. As for the gatehouse’s portcullis, now transformed into a tall gate, it provides vehicle access to the chateau’s court of honour, flanked by a pavilion on each end and landscaped with large pruned yew trees in the middle. Surrounded by moats, the water for which is supplied by a natural spring flowing from a shimmering blue fountain, on the northern side of the chateau is a stone patio, followed by a bridge that spans the moats, one end of which is safeguarded by a tall ornate gate with fine gold-plated motifs that gives directly onto the grounds with its paths lined by plane or lime trees. A pond that has been there since the chateau’s construction and now transformed into a swimming pool, is located directly opposite the chateau, while a stone deck with sculpted figures as well as ancient benches, antique statues, vases, a pond and a small stream embellish the premises, cadenced by multi-century trees and abundant flora. In addition, a wooden chalet, surrounded by lush vegetation, houses a sauna, whereas, set back a ways, a chapel seems to watch over the property and, a little further on, there is an orchard with greenhouses, beehives and small wooden sheds, used as workshops. Last, but not least, standing apart from the other buildings in a semi-circular courtyard are the caretaker’s cottage, a dwelling for the chateau’s employee and several garages that can hold about fifteen vehicles total.

A noble Renaissance-era dwelling, its holiday cottage and outbuildings in a 2-hectare enclosed park overlooking the valley, within the Périgord Blanc region. Dating from the 15th, 16th and 18th centuries, the property stands on a hillside, protected by woodlands to the south and overlooking the valley to the north and west. The high north end walls of the main edifice, with sparse openings, the buttresses and the round tower of the current guest house testify to the fact that this was once a fortified castle. A tree-lined driveway leads from the entrance gate to the noble residence, while a track running alongside the tennis court meets the outbuildings and a swimming pool at the bottom of a slope. A barely visible lap pool is perfectly embedded in the park surrounding the complex. The residence is framed by two enclosed spaces, each offering a breathtaking view: the courtyard where the main entrance is located, a well topped by a pyramid-shaped roof, an outbuilding used as a garden shed, a hangar for vehicles, as well as a pool facing a low pilaster and dressed stone wall. All of these are accessed via a carriage gate, a pedestrian gate and a recently installed gate. On the other side of the residence, the lawned garden with bountiful flowers features a summer dining area under a covered patio.

An impressive, 18th century chateau, its outbuildings and its parklands, just 30 minutes from Fontainebleau. The view from this chateau, standing in a dominant position, gives a vista of the Gâtinais bocage countryside. The garden laid out in front and composed of wide areas laid to lawn, gives unobstructed views over the countryside below. It is extended to the rear by a wooded section. The main, rectangular building in the centre stands facing the wrought iron entrance gates that open on to parklands spanning approx. 10 ha, one section of which is building land. A little further away, on the east side, are the outbuildings, laid out in a V-shape around a level courtyard. They have their own entrance from the village and are followed by a few utility buildings. Gravel pathways make it possible to move around and park cars.

40 minutes south of Toulouse, a 18th-century manor house, with outbuildings in 4,700 m² of grounds. This property was built around 1760 and then rebuilt during the 18th century by the Marquis de Sers. It occupies the same site as a medieval fortress dating back to the 13th century. The rectangular building is entirely made of brick and boasts a pavilion at each of its four corners. Protruding brick cornices denote the separation between the two storeys of the edifice and underline the roof. On the façade, a semi-circular arched doorway sets the tone, whilst in the equivalent place at the rear, there is a rectangular French window. The façade faces the village square that occupies the manor house’s former domain, with views to the horizon of the green hills that overlook the municipality. In front of the edifice, the garden / courtyard is planted with rose bushes and rhododendrons, under the finely statured branches of two horse chestnut trees and two lime trees. Together, they provide freshness as well as shade in summer and light plus warmth in winter. The courtyard is surrounded by three buildings: the manor house, former stables and a hangar, forming a coherent architectural whole that protects against prying eyes and wind. Behind this brick screen, there is a second garden - the Garonne garden - which extends up to a discrete gate to the village’s church, which was the castle’s chapel in bygone days. It is framed by two mounds, most likely the former medieval moat. It is square in shape and retains subtle traces of its past as an ornamental garden, with geometric patterns and an elegant thoroughness. Two fountains - one in the garden / courtyard and the other in the Garonne garden - provide a gentle touch to the place. To the west, in a discrete corner of the Garonne garden, a swimming pool stands in its rightful place, lined with irises, rose bushes, olive trees and a few palm trees.

10 minutes from the center of Albi, by the Tarn river, a 16th-century château and its 3.6-hectare park. The château was built between the 16th and 17th centuries, and later a wing was rebuilt in the 19th century. Classified as a historical monument, it is linked to local history. Jean-François de Galaup, Count of Lapérouse, a famous navigator and explorer born in 1741, spent his childhood there. The residence largely retains its organization from this period. Access to the property is via a metal gate leading to a tree-lined driveway up to the château courtyard. A surrounding terrace borders the building and overlooks the meadows that slope down toward the Tarn, visible through the trees. Below, a swimming pool is set in the slope of the land, while an old nymphaeum, likely created in the 19th century and fed by a spring, is situated away from the main area. The park, of about 3.6 hectares, consists of tall trees, ornamental plantings, meadows, and wooded areas. The plots spread around the château and provide views of the river from the terrace and façades.This description has been automatically translated from French.

A listed historical monument medieval castle in tree-filled land, with 4-hectare grounds, a swimming pool and a tennis court in the Hautes-Pyrénées area. This castle is an admirable remnant of the Hautes-Pyrénées’ heritage and is perfectly preserved. It boasts a thousand-year history and is a listed historical monument. Its first foundations date, in all likelihood, from the 11th century when the defensive tower was used to protect the surrounding fields from pillaging and plundering, in particular by the Aragonese forces. Although the building has undergone many transformations as time has passed, its 15th-century eastern façade has remained unchanged. The edifice was acquired by the Count of Lavedan in 1274, a year during which he received the seigniory of Horgues from the Count of Bigorre to clear a debt. From Raymond-Garcie IV de Lavedan to Jean-Pierer Ducasse de Horgues, over a period of more than 500 years, the castle had almost twenty illustrious owners. From that point in time until 2018, the estate was owned by the same family. The medieval castle with two towers was built on the outskirts of the village and was overhauled in the 17th and 18th centuries. Through a double leaf wrought iron gate, a plane tree lined drive runs alongside rubble stone built former stables with a roof of half round tiles, opposite the castle and its imposing silhouette, built in the 15th century and since transformed several times. In addition to the two towers on either side, the seigniorial residence is made up of two four-storey rectangular sections in a T-shape, each with a sprocketed, gabled slate roof. The two towers, one of which is square and the other which is rounded on one side and squared on the other, are both topped by an octagonal level adored with a slate roof of the same shape. It is thought that the tower to the southwest was added in the 18th century. Lastly, the castle’s former water mill can be found behind the residence. It is currently used as a holiday cottage, while the grounds spread out all around the buildings and, to the left of the castle, play host to a swimming pool.

An estate to be restored, with outbuildings and 4.5 hectares of meadows and vines, 45 minutes from Bordeaux, on the outskirts of a village in the Gironde area. The estate is located in the heights of the village of which it is part, near to a street that runs past it. However, it is sufficiently far from any form of noise pollution. An earthen drive running past an hedge of hornbeams leads directly to it. The property is not fenced or walled, which would be superfluous, given the location set back from the road, the natural protective screen formed by the vineyards as well as the peace and quiet of the area. It is located in a semi-rural area, on mainly flat land, as is the case for the surrounding villages, standing between the Garonne River and its canal. This massive and noble stone residence with a tiled roof can be seen from the road, partially hidden by the estate’s rows of vines. It is made up of a rectangular main building with an adjoining, one-storey outbuilding set at a right angle to it, to the right-hand side of the house, on the eastern side, which is used as a store and a garage. Opposite, a hut houses the water pumping system, very near to the well. The grounds, including several hundred-year-old trees and notably a cedar planted in 1875 as well as copses of more recently planted shrubs, is made up of lawns stretching from the walls of the house to the vines to the northeastern side of the property. They account for approximately a third of the 4.3-hectare estate. The rest is made up of two plots of cultivated vines, separated by a tarmac road. The property has been in the same family since 1844 and is a recognised element of the region’s heritage, as proved by its classification as a picturesque site for the last 50 years by the local authorities.

A 19th-century chateau with outhouses, a chapel and a lake, nestled in 30 hectares of grounds in the south of France’s Touraine province. The seigneurial home that was built here on the ruins of a medieval mansion, of which no vestiges remain, was endlessly redesigned until it collapsed in 1860. In 1890, the decision was made to rebuild the edifice on the site. A renowned architect, Louis-Alfred Trolliet, a specialist in the reconstruction of chateaux, was entrusted with this task. He was responsible for the edifice you can see here today. Trolliet was nicknamed ‘the Viollet-le-Duc of the Berry province’ in a nod to the famous 19th-century French architect Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc who restored many medieval monuments. Trolliet won his spurs as a leading figure of the Troubadour style in French architecture with his restoration of the Château de Romefort in the town of Ciron. To rebuild the present property, he did not adopt the Troubadour style but rather the style of the Loire Valley chateaux that was also in vogue at the time. Trolliet opted for a long rectangular dwelling crowned with tall hipped roofs of slate tiles recalling the Château de Chenonceau and the Château d’Azay-le-Rideau. The grand edifice comes into view once you have gone through the entrance gate and made your way up the long central drive punctuated symmetrically with topiary box shrubs neatly clipped into cones. The château faces east and west. Its main section has a ground floor, a first floor and a second floor in the roof space. The adjoining square tower has a third floor in its roof space. The symmetrical elevations are rendered and punctuated with large small-paned windows fitted with wooden louvred shutters that are painted sky blue. Gabled dormers punctuate the roof of the main section and that of the square tower. Beyond the château, the drive crosses dense woodland on this estate, which covers around 30 hectares and includes a 1.2-hectare lake. Trolliet also decided to build two large lodges as foreparts of the château exactly opposite it. These two buildings are rectangular. They have a ground floor and a first floor. A third lodge stands at a right angle to one of them. This third structure has an eclectic style and recalls a train station. On the south side, a circular dovecote with a cone roof of terracotta tiles adorns the grounds. On the east side, there is a heated swimming pool. Behind the outhouses, a secondary entrance leads to a gravelled car park. Lastly, on the north-west side, there is a private lake. In the middle of this lake there is a small tree-dotted island.