Residence with 15th and 18th Century Elements Spanning 423 m²

Property Description

Exclusivity. Former lordship located in Ardes-sur-Couze, this property comprises a spacious dwelling dating from the 15th and 18th centuries, numerous outbuildings, and a landscaped park of 1 hectare 16 a 80 ca. The house includes a L-shaped 15th-century main block with an inner corner turret housing a spiral staircase and a long wing added in the 18th century. It preserves all the rich original decorative elements and offers 423 m² of living space in total. Access is via a superb 18th-century door opening onto a vaulted passage and a south-facing inner courtyard. The staircase tower door is adorned with two sculpted bosses supporting a richly ornamented ogival arch, at the center a coat of arms of the Aubier de Condat barons, former owners until 1964. Ground floor features include a 54.47 m² living room with a vaulted ceiling and a monumental stone fireplace, a 15.85 m² ogival-arched kitchen with tile floor, a laundry room, a pantry, and a shower room. A large stone spiral staircase provides access to the upper floors. First floor comprises a corridor with 17th-century woodwork, a 2.71 m² WC with a washbasin, a 34.11 m² dining room with a niche framed by pilasters and a stove, Versailles parquet, a 6.69 m² kitchen, a 44.24 m² living room with Versailles parquet, central rose window, a black marble fireplace with insert, a moulded ceiling featuring a central painted panel depicting Euterpe, the muse of music; a 32.71 m² master bedroom with 18th-century alcove, a beige marble fireplace, a trumeau with two pilasters and garlands, a moulded ceiling, and Hungary-point parquet, two 3.08 m² wardrobes flanking the alcove; a 5.76 m² hallway with ground-floor access to the park; a 9.31 m² kitchen with Hungary-point parquet and a central rosette; an 8.48 m² bathroom with basin, bathtub and toilet; a 32.58 m² room with Versailles parquet, woodwork and 17th-century fireplace, trumeaux with floral motifs; a 9.18 m² ogival bathroom with basin, tub and toilet; a 7.39 m² small room or wardrobe. Second floor to renovate features a 22.40 m² corridor serving five bedrooms, one with an 18th-century preserved alcove. Above, three large attics with recent double-glazed windows are convertible. Roofs have been re-sewn; windows and shutters repainted in 2025; partial double glazing. Heating currently provided by three pellet stoves and an insert. Ground-level access from the inner courtyard to the 18th-century wing includes two rooms with ogival windows of 39 m² and 25 m². Numerous outbuildings surround a courtyard and gate on the street: garage, chapel, henhouse, bergère, stable, former farmer’s dwelling, etc. Through a vaulted passage, a 31-step stone staircase leads to an astonishing grotto carved into the rock used as a cellar, with a central pillar. A park with century-old trees extends to the south, protected by restored stone walls and extending further to the south and east with a meadow. The property is located on the edge of the charming tourist town of Ardes-sur-Couze, on the eastern foothills of the Cézallier. Its lively town center offers major shops and the presence of doctors, a physiotherapist, and nurses, accessible on foot from the property. The major tourist site Parc Animalier d’Auvergne is in the commune, Super-Besse ski resort is 42 km away, and the A75 highway is 13 km away. Its vast interiors, rich architectural elements, and location in the heart of Auvergne’s tourist region make this elegant residence ideal for lovers of heritage and for a tourist or cultural activity.