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).

By Jean-Yves Piton

History, the country of the Cathars, châteaux, sun, Mediterranean, Pyrenees, good food, vines, Canal du Midi and enjoyment of life? All of this is in the Aude. Straddling the Black Mountains, the Pyrenees, the plains of the Lauragais and the Mediterranean Sea, the Aude – a section of the Languedoc Roussillon region – has more than 310,000 inhabitants spread over 6,200 square kilometers. With its exceptional climate, varied countryside and fascinating history, the country of the Cathars invites you to learn more about it.

Carcassonne
Carcassonne is the only town in Europe fortified by a double enclosure that is still inhabited. The oldest parts of it date back to the 6th century BC. This magnificent fortress has been classed as an UNESCO World Heritage site since 1997 and is without doubt the most beautiful jewel in the south of France. 2,500 years of history to be discovered...

Today, the best way to visit Carcassonne is to wander up and down its little streets and, even better, to do so with a guide. There are, however, certain sights which shouldn’t be missed: the Basilica of Saint Nazaire, begun in 925 AD and completed in the first half of the 12th century; the château, built in the 12th century by the Trencavel family, Viscounts of Carcassonne; the Porte Narbonnaise, the gateway recognizable by its two huge towers in the shape of a spur; and finally the Lices (Lists), the area between the two enclosures which used to slope up the hill but was leveled in the 13th century.

The Canal du Midi
14 years to build, 15,000 workmen, 350 works of art (bridges, locks...), 240 kilometers long, this is the work of Pierre Paul Riquet, who began in 1663 in the reign of Louis XIV. The Canal Royal du Languedoc, today called the Canal du Midi, was classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. It was built to link the Atlantic to the Mediterranean and is an exceptional architectural achievement to be enjoyed on boat cruises, cycling along the tow-path or simply strolling in the shade of the 300-year-old plane trees.

Medieval sites
There are a multitude of medieval sites to visit in the Aude. From Cathar castles to abbeys, from fortified villages to underground caves, not to mention churches and museums – all bear witness to the area’s rich and varied history.

The Mediterranean
As soon as the sun arrives, the Mediterranean awaits you just 60 kilometers away. You can spend the weekend or even longer on some of the most beautiful beaches in the “Golfe du Lion” either via the motorway or the very pretty road through the Corbieres.

The Pyrenees
The ski resorts of the Pyrenees are just over an hour away. These resorts are just as beautiful in the summer as they are in the winter. In addition to skiing, they offer snowshoe walking, sleigh rides, horse riding, fishing, climbing and rafting.

The Aude
The Aude is also an important wine-making area, producing a wide variety of very different appellations.

First, the oldest sparkling wine in the world (dating back to 1531) is Blanquette de Limoux, using Mauzac, Chardonnay and Chenin grape varieties. It is aged in bottles and is drunk as an aperitif or at the end of a meal.

The vineyards of Limoux also produce a fabulous Chardonnay. A large festival called “Toques et Clochers” takes place each year around mid-April. Some of the greatest chefs and vintners in the world come to this to buy oak barrels of the Chardonnay at auction. The profits from this go towards restoring local church towers (clochers).

The Corbières, with its narrow valleys cutting through the hilly landscape, is home to many well-known wine producers. Its reputation dates back to the time of the Roman occupation and its wines are full-bodied and spicy. They improve with age.

The Minervois is one of the oldest Mediterranean wine areas. Its name comes from the ancient city of Minerve, a Roman stronghold built in honor of the Goddess of Wisdom. Its wines range from the exceptional Muscat de Saint Jean de Minervois, to be drunk with “foie gras” or as an aperitif, to steely whites to accompany seafood and reds and roses to go with barbecues and main courses, and even “cassoulet” for the more spicy wines.

Fitou is a very dense area on the edge of the Mediterranean that produces full-bodied wines with flavors characteristic of the most famous “grands crus.” Wines to be kept and to accompany richer dishes.

Cabardès, on the chalky slopes of the south face of the Black Mountains, combines Cabernet, Merlot, Cot, Syrah and Grenache grape varieties. These wines are known for their aromatic complexity and balance.

And finally the Malepere, a wild area of stony terraces and gentle hillsides, produces wines that are strong, supple and generous with flavors of vanilla and red fruits. Merlot, Cabernet, Grenache and Syrah are combined to make wines to accompany red meats, cheeses and casseroles.


Editor’s Note:
Jean-Yves Piton is the Global Services Membership Manager for LuxuryRealEstate.com. He assists Bente Madtsen, the Director of Global Services, in expanding the LuxuryRealEstate.com brand into even more countries around the world. Wow, this is a long blog entry. There are lots of great details in here about southern France. R. Chayla Immobilier is a member of LuxuryRealEstate.com located in Carcassonne, France.