Poitiers, Charente 86000

15 minutes from Poitiers, a 19th-century château partly listed as a historic monument and founded in the Middle Ages, with its dependencies in a hamlet and its 22-hectare park. Accessible through several gates, the property is hidden behind high walls and the foliage of ancient trees. From the main entrance, the château gradually reveals itself along a line of plane trees. The building bears witness to several phases of construction. From the medieval period, an old keep remodelled in the 14th century survives. It is registered as a historic monument. With a balanced plan, its façade is punctuated by wide bays and dormer windows. The roof is slate and the walls are plastered with visible stone corner pilasters. The main enlargements date from the Renaissance, but the most important transformations were carried out in the 19th century. Watchtowers, dormers, large bays and spires reflect these different periods. Thus, in 1356, during the Hundred Years War, John II the Good would have halted there on the way to the Battle of Maupertuis. Later, Louis XIV is said to have stayed there on his way to Saint-Jean-de-Luz for his marriage to Marie-Thérèse of Austria. On the balustrades of the tall windows is a Latin motto: Peace to this house. To the west, a terrace lined with columns is extended by a pergola and a fountain placed on the lawn. The dependencies, set away from the château, form a complex with varied uses. All of it is surrounded by the park, woods, meadows and the orchard.