Château Ismh, Renaissance Period

Property Description

Exclusive listing.

Located on the edge of a village near Courpière, in the Livradois-Forez Regional Natural Park, the estate comprises a Renaissance château, outbuildings, a pond, and land totaling 4 hectares, 67 ares, and 20 centiares.

The château, built in the 16th century according to Renaissance principles and remodeled in the 17th century, is laid out as a quadrilateral surrounding an inner courtyard. At its four corners are two round towers and two pavilions. Between the two towers, a vast terrace with a balustrade supported by three semicircular arches runs along the first floor.

The former moats, although now dry, are still clearly visible. A large pond, fed by the Sauvagnon stream, faces the terrace.

In 1974, the current owners acquired the château and saved it from ruin by undertaking major renovations between 1976 and 2000 on the main structure, the ground floor, and the first floor.

Access to the château is through a beautiful pointed-arch doorway leading to a covered passageway with a barrel vault, and then to the inner courtyard.

On the ground floor:

– a former kitchen of 41.49 m² with ribbed vaulting and a monumental fireplace;

– a scullery of 5.64 m²;

– a square room of 13.15 m² in the round tower;

– a toilet of 6.58 m² with a sink;

– a laundry room with ribbed vaulting of 19.37 m²: sink, washing machine, and fuel tank;

– a service spiral staircase leading to the first floor;

– three cellars, a workshop, and the boiler room.

A magnificent three-flight staircase with 17th-century arches, crafted from Volvic stone, leads to the upper floors.

On the first floor:

– a gallery (or armory) of 61.43 m². Three French doors open directly onto a 24 m² southeast-facing terrace;

– a room known as the "Coat of Arms" of 12.38 m² with its exceptional painted decoration depicting the coats of arms of the owning and allied families: Lodant, Uffan, and La Fayette, among others. It features a painted French-style ceiling. The cornice is brown, adorned with motifs, and bordered by two green lines. The coats of arms are surrounded by a cord on the right and palm fronds on the left. The lower part of the room is lined with a trompe-l'œil balustrade, and the upper part is decorated with a frieze and masks in red and silver;

– A large, colonnaded living room of 72.08 m². Nine massive columns with Corinthian capitals decorate the room. 18th-century wood paneling. Two French doors open directly onto the terrace;

– A fully equipped kitchen of 15.75 m² in the round tower;

– A bathroom of 11.71 m²: two sinks, bathtub;

– A toilet of 0.96 m²;

– A blue bedroom of 33.42 m². Superb marquetry rosette. A tiled stove in a niche. 18th-century wood paneling. French-style ceiling;

– A corner bedroom of 31.09 m². Herringbone parquet flooring. Gray marble fireplace;

– An adjoining powder room of 0.65 m²: sink and bidet.

A separate apartment has been created on the same level, accessible either from the colonnaded living room or via the service spiral staircase. It comprises:

– an entrance hall of 4.90 m²;

– a fitted kitchen of 4.03 m²;

– a dining room of 18.21 m²;

– a living room known as the "Muses Room" of 21.79 m². It features a remarkable coffered painted ceiling dating from the Louis-Philippe period and herringbone parquet flooring;

– in the wall of the northeast tower, a charming oratory displays stucco decoration imitating Renaissance lambrequins and a cloudy sky with a dove, dating from the late 18th century;

– a 4.29 m² mezzanine opening onto a balcony;

– a bedroom of 28.36 m². It has a gray marble fireplace and herringbone parquet flooring;

It is, of course, possible to combine the two apartments.

The entire property offers approximately 388 m² of living space.

On the second floor: approximately 400 m² of attic space suitable for conversion. Poplar timber frame. The roofs of the round towers were redone in 1976, and the rest of the building has been regularly maintained.

Central heating is provided by two boilers: an Okofen pellet boiler dating from 2017 and a backup oil-fired boiler dating from 2000. No Energy Performance Certificate (DPE) is required due to its classification as a Historic Monument.

Connected to mains drainage and fiber optic internet.

Its simple yet well-proportioned exterior, typical of the Renaissance, and the rich original features of its interior decoration led to its listing on the Supplementary Inventory of Historic Monuments in 1991: the entire château, including the bedroom with its marquetry parquet floor, the colonnaded drawing room, the heraldic hall, the salon of the muses, and the oratory. Listing allows, under certain conditions, for subsidies and tax relief on renovation work.

A large outbuilding is located to the west, one wing of which is adorned with six semicircular arched windows and includes:

– a 48 m² garage;

– a 71 m² garage with horse stalls. Upstairs, a 172 m² hayloft;

– a 177 m² sheepfold under a barrel vault that retains a false rib vault decoration possibly dating back to the late 16th century;

– a 27 m² cowshed;

– a 190 m² stable. Above it, a 190 m² hayloft.

A dovecote.

Of the 4.6720 hectares of the property, approximately 3 hectares are open meadows.

The Sauvagnon stream flows through the property, splits into two branches to form an island, and feeds the approximately 2,500 m² pond.

The château is built on the edge of a peaceful village located 10 km from Courpière, which offers all shops and amenities. The A89 motorway is 25 km away.

The architectural qualities of this charming château make it a rare example of Renaissance architecture in the Auvergne region. With its spacious rooms, outbuildings, and grounds, it would be a prized residence for true heritage enthusiasts or the ideal venue for tourism, cultural, and event activities.