Description
Exclusive - Precious and refined gardens - ELEGANT 18TH-CENTURY CHATEAU, SUPERBLY RESTORED - Authentic, high-quality 18th-century decor - Pyrenees - Bigorre - 1.5 hours from Biarritz and the Atlantic coast. Restored with exquisite taste over the past 25 years by a passionate aesthete, this elegant 18th-century château, with its symmetrical classical architecture, is nestled in a precious and refined verdant setting of boxwood parterres, topiary, a labyrinth, and a green theater at the foot of the Pyrenees, 1.5 hours from Biarritz and the sea. Built around 1750, this elegant country house has survived in a remarkable state of authenticity, having retained its original decorative elements: wooden floors, stone and terracotta tiles, woodwork, fireplaces, wainscoting, overmantels, and double doors. This balanced, human-scale architecture perfectly embodies the art of 18th-century country living, bathed in light from all sides. The ground floor comprises a series of beautiful 18th-century reception rooms. The central walkway, paved in the traditional calade style of the South of France, winds through boxwood parterres and topiary in a magical and refined atmosphere, leading to the grand steps of the majestic central projecting section and then to the entrance hall with its particularly authentic stone floor. This hall opens in all directions onto the suites of light-filled reception rooms, which stream in through large, small-paned windows thanks to their dual aspect. The grand dining room opens to the south, overlooking the village opposite the church, via a grand staircase leading to a boxwood parterre separated from the village by a moat. The interior of the château is typical of all that 18th-century French refinement and art de vivre had to offer, notably through its five magnificent, adjoining reception rooms adorned with their 18th-century decor: wide-plank floors, terracotta tiles, fireplaces, overmantel mirrors, Versailles parquet, wood paneling, and wainscoting. A wood-paneled dining room adjoins the kitchen, along with a service staircase and corridor. There is also an 18th-century alcove bedroom, an Empire-style wood-paneled library, and a study adorned with richly painted wood paneling to resemble marble. Two toilets and a bathroom are also located on this floor. A grand staircase features an 18th-century carved wooden banister. On the first floor, a large hall leads to eight bedrooms, most of which are decorated with exquisite, museum-quality, hand-cut block wallpaper by a renowned specialist, fireplaces, overmantel mirrors, and wood-paneled closets. Two bathrooms, one with marble flooring and a beautiful early 20th-century marble and pitch pine vanity. A large living room with a service staircase leading to the kitchen. Extensive cellars, including a large château kitchen in the cellar. The most remarkable outbuilding is the sumptuous, monumental orangery with three south-facing arches. Its architecture is particularly refined and spectacular; the Genoese acroterion supports four Louis XIV-style finials, lending the building exceptional elegance and offering unparalleled comfort for enjoying the garden through the arched curtains beneath a monumental ceiling height. A large barn serves as an event space and is equipped with a stainless steel kitchen. A charming farmyard is bordered by a henhouse and a covered area with particularly elegant wooden columns. A discreet and authentic chapel features a starry blue vaulted ceiling, a terracotta tile floor, and a remarkable 17th-century polychrome carved wooden altarpiece. In a nearby building accessed via a cobbled path, are the former kitchens, three beautiful rooms with terracotta floors, exposed beams and fireplaces, and a large attic ready for conversion. There are also two outdoor toilets. Enchanting boxwood gardens, created 20 years ago, are of exceptional quality, offering dreamlike vistas. Facing the château are intricate and refined boxwood parterres and topiary. On the village side, there is also a terrace adorned with parterres. To the side, across a small bridge over the former moat, which shelters a romantic streamside garden, the majestic open-air theater with its semicircular tiered seating unfolds around a schist-lined pond. Monumental yew pilasters atop hornbeam and beech hedges lend an architectural grandeur to this landscaped folly. A vista bordered by sculptures runs along the hornbeam and beech hedges. An extraordinary and rare green labyrinth formed by beech hedges worthy of the grandest 18th-century châteaux. This garden is an exceptional work, reflecting a rare mastery of the art and history of gardens in Europe; planted 20 years ago, it is now in its full maturity, providing exceptional pleasure and impact. Swimming pool in the ornamental ponds with marble coping. Three entrances through grand 18th-century pillars and gates. A plot of land outside the park can be used as parking. The château is a listed historical monument in its entirety. Two wells, irrigation pump. Oil-fired central heating in three-quarters of the château. Annual property tax: €549. Location: - 143km from Biarritz - 30km from Lourdes, international airport - 26km from Pau, international airport - 20km from Tarbes, international airport. Price: €1,608,000 (agency fees payable by the seller). Information on the risks to which this property is exposed is available on the Géorisques website: www.georisques.gouv.fr
