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Castle
16 Rooms
•
458 m²
Vallègue
900 000 €
A genuine medieval chateau, partially listed as a regional Historical Monument, with its ramparts and guest accommodations, between Toulouse and Carcassonne in an Occitan village, twenty kilometres from Castelnaudary. Built in the 13th century in order to keep vigil over the fertile plain, the chateau still overlooks the former fortified village, for which it once represented its defensive core. With a long façade of nearly 70 metres, flanked by towers and buttresses, its Spartan architecture conceals its continuous history, dating from the 14th century all the way to the present day: that of a former royal fortress, which then became a seigniorial residence, followed by an aristocratic dwelling and, finally, a large family home. The first foundation stones, in irregular size rubble stone, still preserve the defensive precision of the Middle Ages, while, further up, its symmetrical windows, widened doors and orderly rooftops bear witness to the renovations carried out in the 17th century, when the art of living replaced its defensive purpose. This can also be seen in the small balcony, supported by two carved stone corbels, the design of which resembles an almost vegetal coil, while its wrought-iron guardrail features a décor combining scrolls with interlacing patterns, typical of the kinds of details added between the late 18th and 19th centuries, which were meant to provide a lightweight impression to these ancient exteriors. As for its construction materials, local brick and limestone, they create a dialogue between warm hues and textures, softened by the patina of time. With an inhabitable floor area of approximately 480 m², the two-storey main building's ground floor contains a series of adjacent living areas: a drawing room, a dining room, a study, as well as several other living spaces, supplemented by an old-fashioned kitchen, a laundry room and a chapel, while a bedroom, not far from the drawing room and kitchen, rounds out the rooms on this floor. As for the upstairs level, it contains five bedrooms, some of which come with their own private sitting room or adjacent bathroom, accessible via a long hallway and two landings, which convey the building's size and depth, whereas all of its rooms have preserved their original dimensions and its overall layout strikes a fine balance between its areas reserved for entertaining and its more private quarters. Extending on from here, immense outbuildings with multiple ancient details, represent a considerable potential for expansion, while under its basement vaults, a medieval cellar has been listed as a regional Historical Monument and its attic spaces, granaries and drying rooms bear witness to the domestic economy of centuries past. Last, but not least, the property, partially protected as a Historical Monument, features a rare and overall cohesive feel, the result of a respectful restoration that has been on-going since the late 20th century.
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