Luxury real estate for sale Gellainville, France (page 4)

A 16th century dovecote, its house and a small jetty for boating on the river in a medieval Perche village. The main house probably dates back to the second half of the 19th century. It stands in front of the circular dovecote dating from 1555, which forms part of its interior layout. The two-storey building is of rendered brick and stone. The upper floor features 3 hip roof dormers with triangular pediments, two of which were recently added. This building is extended at right angles by the section used as an outbuilding, with the same architectural features. The barn and farm doors have been repainted. On this side, wall dormers provide natural light. The gable roof is clad with brown tiles. Two entrance doors topped by transoms and two paned windows with brick surrounds are arranged rather randomly with respect to the positioning of the dormer windows. On the facade, a circular stone cartouche, which is older than the house itself, features the monogram of Diane de Poitiers, depicting three interlaced crescent moons. This was the height of the French Renaissance: the dovecote dates back to 1555, when the fame of Diane de Poitiers radiated all the way from Anet, 80 km away, where she had retired. The dovecote is located at the rear on the platform that rises several metres above the Ozanne river. A large terrace lined with flowers extends along the length of the house, bordering the tower and reaching as far as the wall separating this property from its neighbour. At the foot of the wall, steps lead down to the water and the moored boat.