A majestic, first-floor, 225 m² flat, with its Louis XV style panelling,
in an 18th century mansion house, just a stone throw from the palace in Versailles’ Notre-Dame district
in an 18th century mansion house, just a stone throw from the palace in Versailles’ Notre-Dame district
Versailles, YVELINES
paris
78000
FR
Location
Bearing witness to the history of the royal town, the Notre-Dame district developed at the same time as the palace when, at the beginning of the 1660’s, Louis XIV decided to move his court to Versailles. The peers and dukes of France and some of the courtiers from the court had mansion houses built in the surrounding area, which still now represent the prestige of the old capital of the French kingdom. This flat is but two minutes’ walk from the entrance to the Palace, the royal chapel, the Royal Opera House as well as Montansier theatre and just a stone’s throw from Rue-de-la-Paroisse with its many shops. The prestigious Lycée-Hoche is a 10-minute walk. Versailles-Rive-Gauche and Versailles-Rive-Droite RER line C train stations, with their respective links to the centre of Paris or La-Défense and Saint-Lazare, are 10 to 15 minutes way on foot.
Description
It was in 1780 that the Marquis of Sérent purchased the mansion house, constructed under Louis XIV by the Duke of Lude, which then belonged to the Duke of Rohan and his wife. The same year, the Marquis of Sérent, a former musketeer of the king, became governor of the children of the Count of Artois: the dukes of Angoulême and of Berry. The Marquis called upon Darnaudin, architect of Louis XVI, to rebuild it. In the 19th century, the Duke of Broglie, President of the French Cabinet, settled there for a while.
Typical of Versailles’ neo-classical mansion houses, the residence stands between the road and a paved courtyard, laid out to the rear. The facade features numerous windows. It is soberly and elegantly decorated: a ground floor heavily marked with moulding and delimited by a protruding string course; two upper floors, whose facing features lines in the plaster, enhance the horizontality of the facade and are topped with an attic floor. The low roof above the attic space features hip roof dormers. Recent restoration works have given the facades back all of their splendour of yesteryear. This flat, with 4.50 m high ceilings, faces east-west. An entrance gallery initially provides access to a dining room, followed by a state lounge, with spectacular, sea green-coloured, Louis XV style panelling featuring floral motifs embellished with gilt and panels depicting mythological scenes. A vast library, which could be used as a bedroom, follows on from the reception rooms. This flat also comprises a kitchen, a study and two large bedrooms, each with its own shower room, as well as a storage area.
Typical of Versailles’ neo-classical mansion houses, the residence stands between the road and a paved courtyard, laid out to the rear. The facade features numerous windows. It is soberly and elegantly decorated: a ground floor heavily marked with moulding and delimited by a protruding string course; two upper floors, whose facing features lines in the plaster, enhance the horizontality of the facade and are topped with an attic floor. The low roof above the attic space features hip roof dormers. Recent restoration works have given the facades back all of their splendour of yesteryear. This flat, with 4.50 m high ceilings, faces east-west. An entrance gallery initially provides access to a dining room, followed by a state lounge, with spectacular, sea green-coloured, Louis XV style panelling featuring floral motifs embellished with gilt and panels depicting mythological scenes. A vast library, which could be used as a bedroom, follows on from the reception rooms. This flat also comprises a kitchen, a study and two large bedrooms, each with its own shower room, as well as a storage area.
The flat
This flat is on the first or so-called “noble” floor as, with its 4.50 m high ceilings and its many windows, it was once the mansion house’s stately floor. A stairway, with stone steps and wrought iron railings topped with a wooden handrail, goes up to the landing. An armoured, wooden door opens into an entrance gallery. Tall windows with casement bolts, enhanced with indoor shutters, let copious amounts of light into each room. The walls, painted or lined with fabric, and decorated with cap moulding, feature double doors. The variety of moulding adorning the high ceilings bears witness to the history of the premises. The oak wood parquet flooring is laid in a herringbone pattern. Four adjoining rooms formed the original reception areas. The two central rooms are still used for this purpose. Although long used as a bedroom, a 34 m² library, with its elegant black marble fireplace and its two double, semi-circular-arched windows, could easily be used for its original vocation once again. A smaller dining room, spanning almost 21 m², features a white marble fireplace. It is followed by the 50 m² reception lounge which, with its spectacular, sea green-coloured, Louis XV style panelling, embellished with gilt and enhanced with mythological panels, its two wide windows and its stone fireplace, topped with a large mirror trumeau, is unquestionably the property’s main room.
Opposite, a gallery, constructed at a later date, houses a modern kitchen, steeped in light. A small study makes it possible to reach the two other bedrooms, one spanning 31 m² and the other 36 m². They are both enhanced with a fireplace and have their own shower room. An old utility corridor, illuminated via bull’s eye windows is currently used as a storage area.
Our opinion
Everything here is within a few minutes’ walking distance and, although ideally located in the town centre, this flat is almost in the countryside courtesy of the proximity of the Palace of Versailles with its gardens and lakes. Bearing witness to the history of France through its succession of illustrious owners, it still houses an air of their residence, reinforced by its refined decoration. The lounge, made central by its position and its function, is a stately room for hosting guests, just as it should be, but, courtesy of its harmonious proportions, it is also an unusually cosy room that is particularly pleasant to live in. The other rooms, acting as its setting, are all as welcoming, with their sober decor and their spaciousness. The entire flat could do with some improvement works which will add additional sparkle to this exceptional home.
Reference 702839
| Reception area | 82 m2 |
| Ceiling height | 4.5 |
| Living space | 233 m2 |
| Number of rooms | 6 |
| Number of bedrooms | 3 |
| Possible number of bedrooms | 4 |
| Number of lots | 113 |
| Annual average amount of the proportionate share of expenses | 4700 € |
Aucune procédure en cours menée sur le fondement des articles 29-1 A et 29-1 de la loi n°65-557 du 10 juillet 1965 et de l’article L.615-6 du CCH
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NB: The above information is not only the result of our visit to the property; it is also based on information provided by the current owner. It is by no means comprehensive or strictly accurate especially where surface areas and construction dates are concerned. We cannot, therefore, be held liable for any misrepresentation.
