Luxury Real Estate

By Thierry Journiac of TerraCognita

SUMMARY

40 min South of Tours, nestled in a superb and calm countryside environment of woods and meadows, magnificent chateau distributing ca 1000 sqm/11000 sqft of living area in excellent condition with beautiful reception rooms and 8 bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms - Ca 30 ha/75 acres land with caretaker's home, an old barn, a pond, a pool and stables for 8 horses

MORE DETAILS

In Touraine, close to the historic city of Loches, this exceptional estate is tucked away in a hidden valley off the beaten track. The castle was first mentioned in 1234, probable date of its construction, in the archives of the city of Tours. Refurbished during the Renaissance, its decorative elements reveal the magnificence of the period, as shown, for instance, in the exceptional bands containing the medallions. It also contains handsome architectural elements, typical of the Renaissance. The castle still has many traces of the 13th century. One can imagine the battles against the Sarrasins in the two defence towers, the machiolations and the rampart walks, with encorbelled brattices and murder holes.

The property consists of thirty hectares (roughly 70 acres) of cleared woods and fields all around the buildings.

The main building has two round towers on either side, originating from the 15th century. Galleries run from one to the other on two floors and with three arches; there is a magnificent spiral staircase dating from the 14th century leading past the murther holes from where the archers shot arrows with their crossbows.

The ground floor has a superb gallery with seven arches on one side and on the other, a series of reception rooms. The floors are covered with ancient flagstones and the formal drawing room has a Versailles parquet floor with a "rose des vents" design. All the reception rooms have Renaissance fireplaces.

In the 19th century, the chapel in which the famous French author Alfred de Vigny was christened, was transformed into a white-stone main stairway which leads to the first floor, to the gallery that has a marble floor with various patterns "à l'italienne" and bedrooms on one side.

The four large bedrooms have kept their former characteristics, i.e. doors leading from one room to another without having to use the gallery.

The Royal suite, traditionally maintained in case the king paid a visit, is separate, in the West wing. On the eastern side of the gallery are two bedrooms and a large suite.

All the floors are covered with elaborate 18th century tiles. The ceilings have beams and some are magnificently painted.

The walls of the whole house are covered with beautiful materials from Braquenier or P.Frey or silks made specially in Lyons for the Château.

Six main reception rooms, one of them with the Versailles parquet flooring: a dining room, a "Chinese" sitting room (with a guest toilet in a tower), a television room and an office.

A large kitchen (part of it in a tower), a large pantry, and a hunt (sitting) room with an exit. On the first floor there are 5 bedrooms with 4 bathrooms and two shower-rooms, 5 toilets, and dressing-rooms.

The two bedrooms (one of them with a toilet in the tower) of the Master suite are separated by a bathroom and dressing- room.

West wing: 2 bedrooms with bathrooms and toilets.

One large suite with a bedroom, sitting-room, dressing-room, shower-room, toilet and kitchenette.

The bedrooms and some of the towers ave Renaissance fireplaces. The bathroom walls are tiled with hand made tiles. All the materials used for the bedrooms are of top quality.

Outside, is a 19th century building used as a garage for two cars with a comfortable 45-metre apartment above. Stables containing two boxes are attached.

Behind is the pool-house with a toilet, swimming-pool machinery and a heated swimming-pool with palm-trees along a stone alley. Very dreamlike.

There is a large stone table under the mulberry trees where one can have meals listening to the fountain playing and drinking icy water straight from the source!

The park can be lit up at night; the huge entrance gate (surmounted with the crown of the "marquis") is opened and closed by remote control.

In the second stables (150 square metres) there are four large boxes, a hot-water shower for the horses, a solarium, old-style tack-room and grooming quarters.

The tennis-court has temporarily been converted into a 40 x 20 metre outdoor riding school.

An 18th century farm, visible from the drawing-room windows has been restored on the outside only and has a 200 square-metre surface.

At the bottom of the fields is a small lake fed by a source (discovered in the Middle Ages).