A 16th-century house with 100 m² surrounded by its 40-m² verdant
courtyard in the centre of historic Beaucaire
Beaucaire, GARD languedoc-roussillon 30300 FR

Location

The property is located in the heart of downtown Beaucaire, a town known for its art and history and strategically positioned between the Cévennes Mountains, the fertile plains of the Gard department and the majestic Rhône River valley. Once famous for its textile fair, one of the most prestigious in Europe since the 12th century, the town would attract thousands of exhibitors and merchants from all over the continent and elsewhere, making it a key commercial crossroads.
The Beaucaire train station, recently reopened, today offers a direct connection with its historic train line, which provides daily service to some of southern France’s major cities such as Avignon, Nîmes, Montpellier and Marseille. In addition, Beaucaire is only 25 kilometres from Nîmes and 20 kilometres from both Avignon and Arles.

Description

Beaucaire’s historic centre, designed with rectilinear streets like its medieval neighbour Aigues-Mortes, was once a military city. One of the few Provencal towns without protective outer ramparts, Beaucaire is structured around its main road and the quay of the Rhône-Sète canal – used as a home port for many boats – which play a key role in the town’s undeniable character and charm. These two major east-west routes, which spread out from the base of the chateau, are traversed by a number of north-south roads that eventually meet up with the aforementioned quay.
Completely hidden and set back from the street, the house, built at the end of the 16th century, has two storeys over its garden level and is located on one of the town’s latitudinal streets, thereby sheltering it from the Mistral wind and other inclement weather. The only element visible from the street is a large carriage door surrounded by smooth rusticated stonework from the Fontvieille quarries and topped with an understated entablature. With a truncated corner indicating its former utilitarian usage, this entrance was once intended for the passage of tall and heavy loads, while its two vertical wooden leaves, painted grey and studded at eye level, are devoid of any kind of decoration, once again underlining the former functional purpose of the premises.
The property’s gate opens directly onto a courtyard, today transformed into a pleasant garden, which separates the house from the quiet street. In the Middle Ages, the property was undoubtedly the warehouse of a rich merchant from the famous local fair or the lord who owned the neighbouring house, Jean-Joseph Escudier de Beaulieu, an advisor to the King, Presiding Judge of Farms and the Lieutenant of Ports during the siege of Beaucaire. However, it wasn’t until the late 19th century that the warehouse on the courtyard level was turned into a dwelling, while several earlier modifications, still visible upstairs, allows one to surmise that the domestic staff of the aforementioned lord once occupied the level above the medieval warehouse.

The House

With views of the verdant courtyard thanks to a large arched picture window accentuated by a decidedly contemporary black metal framework, the house has fully taken on the appearance of an elegant urban dwelling and no longer gives any indication of its former use as a warehouse.
Here, each stone is both a testimony and a memory: its façade made out of stone from the Fontvieille quarries, carefully restored, has preserved several unique architectural details, while an old, bricked up door on the first floor, a vestige of a past modification, and the marks of a cross window, now gone, recount the building’s evolution and provide it with a touch of mystery. In addition, the exterior stone staircase, rather rustic in appearance, provides a direct and independent access to the first floor from the courtyard, where the main living spaces are located.


The ground floor
The front glass double doors open onto a fitted kitchen, perfectly integrated within its historic environment, while the large arched picture window illuminates the entire interior and provides a direct view of the courtyard, establishing a fluid dialogue between the inside and the outside. In the middle of the room, abutting the southern wall, is a functional stone fireplace in perfect condition, whereas, towards the back and adjacent to the western wall, a sleek polished concrete staircase, without a guardrail, leads to the living room on the first floor. Not far from the staircase, a large trapdoor, discreetly integrated within the floor, conceals a vaulted medieval cellar with the same floor area as the kitchen, as well as irregular stone masonry walls and a beaten earth floor.
The first floor
Accented by the vestiges of a window with 16th-century ornamentation, the top of the staircase leads to the dual-aspect living room with celadon green walls, which stands out from the rest of the house’s rooms thanks to a massive stone fireplace. As for its exposed ceiling beams, painted white, they bear witness to local traditional savoir-faire, while the polished concrete floor provides a contemporary touch to the entre space. In addition, this room has access to both the exterior staircase that leads to the courtyard and an interior stone staircase, which provides access to the house’s only bedroom, located upstairs under the eaves. Lastly, in a discreet corner of the room, a shower room was created with a practical layout and fits in perfectly with the rest of the space.
The second floor
The bedroom is accessible via a low, 1.3-metre high door. Bathed in light by two windows, the same size as the door, the former add character to the room and nicely frame the views of the outside. Once across the threshold, the room, with walls painted a soft grey-blue, has a comfortable floor-to-ceiling height, while behind the bed, there is a cleverly designed and perfectly integrated shower room, lavatory and a storage area, which succeeds in conserving both the room’s elegance and functionality.

The Flagstone Courtyard

Surrounded by tall walls, the courtyard’s ground is paved in stones from the Beaucaire quarries, which match perfectly with the rest of the house. A row of bamboo with slender black stems and dense foliage provides a touch of exoticism, two imposing cypress trees frame either side of the courtyard and, along the exterior staircase, climbing jasmine exudes a heady fragrance once springtime arrives and adds to the overall verdant vegetation, which contributes in making the courtyard particularly cool come the hot days of summer. In addition, under the staircase, a storeroom blends subtly with the surrounding layout, providing a functional space without disrupting the courtyard’s overall symmetry, while, along one of the walls, vestiges of an old staircase still bears witness to the building’s history, once again highlighting the historical aspect of this space with unquestionable character. Lastly, on the other side of the courtyard, a metal ladder, securely affixed to a wall, provides access to a small concrete balcony overlooking the entrance gate.

Our opinion

With an enchanting courtyard-garden once spring arrives, this ideal pied-à-terre in the South of France is perfectly calm, without any noise pollution, and, yet, located only a stone’s throw away from Beaucaire’s lively quays. Although only a short walk from all local shops, the house is hidden down one of the village’s many small streets that provide it with so much bucolic charm and give the dwellings that line it the best of both worlds.
Restored and designed with practicality in mind, the house is ready for its future occupants to unpack their bags and move in right away. Perfect for a single person or a couple, its 100 m² are flawlessly showcased and do not require any further renovations. For those looking for an authentic Provencal residence nestled within a picture postcard village, this magnificent dwelling, full of history and charm, has everything one needs to feel right at home.

Exclusive sale

220 000 €
Fees at the Vendor’s expense


See the fee rates

Reference 899636

Land registry surface area 88 m2
Main building surface area 97 m2
Number of bedrooms 1

Consultant

Isabelle Wisniak +33 1 42 84 80 85

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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.

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