Moussac, Gard

Property Description

Steeped in history, this important and historic, 13th Century building was at one time a palace of the Bishops of Uzès and the residence of a future Pope. Exquisitely restored, it sits at the heights of the village and has 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms and 4 reception rooms, a garden with fine views and a jacuzzi.

This magnificent residence, formerly owned by the Bishops of Uzès, is built on three levels. From the entrance, a beautiful glass door opens on to a vestibule of 18m² with a storage cupboard adjoining the cellar. Bedroom 1, measuring 22 m², has ‘Roman’ vaulting with natural, whitewashed walls and opens on to the garden via a glass door. It has its own bathroom with walk-in shower in a cavity built into the wall, wash basin and WC. On the same floor, there is a vaulted reception room of 44 m² with a ceiling height of 4.20m. Light floods into this room from numerous windows as well as a large French windows overlooking the alley.

A large stone staircase leads to the first floor and into the principal reception room which measures a massive 45 m². This is also a particularly bright room and has a remarkable ceiling height of about 7m. This ‘Salle d’Honneur’ has a  fine fireplace and, as a reminder of its glory days, houses a fresco dating from the beginning of the 14th Century, representing 11 characters. The fresco is in an excellent state of preservation the figures depicted remain lively, fresh and bright despite its age of almost 700 years. There is a view due South over the garden thanks to the two large, French windows. Accessible from this room are Bedrooms 2 and 3, measuring 15 and 16². Each has its own bathroom - the first with a walk-in shower, a stone-carved washbasin carved and a separate WC and the second an adjacent bathroom in the old tower consisting of a shower, wash basin and WC. Each of these two bedrooms have access to a shared terrace.

A wrought-iron staircase leads to a mezzanine level measuring 18m² with chestnut flooring. This serves as a private sitting room for Bedroom 4 which measures 22 m² with and enjoys wonderful, distant views of the Cévennes mountains. There is a private bathroom with bath, wash basin and WC.

A stone, spiral staircase from one of the rooms of the first floor leads to the top of the palace and yet another fabulous area where the old dovecote has been converted into a sitting room or spare bedroom and gives access to yet another superb terrace which enjoys exceptional views of the surrounding countryside.

The enclosed landscaped garden incorporates a jacuzzi and offers great views of the village's 13th Century tower and château.

Heat pump heating combined with excellent insulation generates an exceptional energy rating.

The property is approximately 15 minutes’ drive from the very popular little town of Uzès and 30 minutes from the international airport at Nîmes.

And here is a potted version of the history which may be of interest.

This palace played a prominent role in the history of the Languedoc region. Having been the stronghold of the Count of Toulouse, the property was gifted to the then Bishop of Uzès by King Philippe-Auguste in 1211 following the Albigensian crusades. The Bishop added an impressive tower as a reflection of his status as a temporal lord and the victory of the church over the heretics.

The Bishop dispensed justice in the great hall with its 7m height vaulted ceiling, adorned with beautiful decoration. Guillaume Grimoard, Vicar-General of Uzès, lived for some time in the palace before being elected Pope (1362-1370) and taking the name of Urban V, during the period when the Holy See was established in Avignon.

In the 16th century, as the beliefs of the Reformation spread, the Languedoc region became a Protestant bastion. The rivalry with the Catholics led to civil war in the following century. The King’s army besieged Alès, the neighboring city, which they conquered in 1629. The famous Cardinal Richelieu came in person to negotiate the peace and re-establish the Diocese of Uzès. It is believed that the Cardinal stayed at the palace at that time.

The village fell once again into the hands of the Protestants in 1703, during the war of the Cevennes. The leader of the Camisards, Jean Cavalier, set fire to the village church, but, happily, did not damage the palace.

Location: Village

Bedrooms: 4

Bathrooms: 4

Receptions: 4

Habitable space: 257m² 

Plot size: 670m² (0.17 acres)

Heating: Heat pump

Distance to shops: In village

Distance to airport: 34 kms (Nîmes - 30 minutes)

(Location shown on property portals is approximate)

 

Please note:  All sizes and locations are approximate. La Résidence has made every effort to ensure that the details and photographs of this property are accurate and in no way misleading.  However, this information does not form part of a contract and no warranties are either given or implied.