The old square Place Royale is picturesque on all four sides: a 12th-century fort-like church stands on one side and arcades forming galleries line rows of houses, which are mostly half-timbered. The village is full of buildings that date back to periods between the 14th and 18th centuries. Almost all of them have been masterfully restored. They are hidden among the countless alleys that form a grid leading to the square. Today, this historical square is a hub for encounters and conviviality, fostered by the presence of several restaurants and a parking ban here. Nearby, artists’ studios and a range of curiosities line medieval streets. For example, there is a Protestant church built in 1607 that has been turned into an exhibition centre.

On the square, the house lies opposite the church. The dwelling is known as the most beautiful house in Labastide-d'Armagnac. It has a ground floor, a first floor and a loft that could be converted. It is nestled on the square’s north-east corner, so it has two entrances beneath its galleries: one leads in from the square Place Royale and the other leads in from a side street. The house faces south-east. It stands on the edge of the square, blending harmoniously into its architectural environment. The dwelling is crowned with a roof of monk-and-nun tiling on which a gabled dormer stands. The facade’s upper section, made of brick and lattice-patterned timber framing, rests upon a thick stone wall and solid beams and joists, which are supported by two stone pillars – part of a former gallery of shops. On the first floor, three segmental-arch windows with crosspieces stand behind wrought-iron guardrails. They are fitted with wooden shutters.

At the back, on the north side, there is a small terrace on the first floor. Lastly, in line with the house, there are two small rooms in a section with an entrance from outside: a fitness room with a wine cellar and lavatory and a space with a recent oil boiler and its tank.

The house of Captain de Malartic

The ground floor
The main entrance door leads from a small side street into a large hallway with a floor of round tiles that form a pattern of concave-edged spaces in between them. At the back of this hall, an oak staircase with two quarter turns leads upstairs. Its elegantly understated balustrade has a wooden handrail and old wrought-iron balusters.

On one side of this hallway, a vast room looks out through the square’s gallery. The room was once used for craftmanship, trade and storage. Today, a high-quality spacious kitchen lies beside a dining area here – posts of raw timber separate the two spaces from one another. A floor of old square tomette tiles blends harmoniously with walls of exposed stone and a ceiling of exposed beams. Glazed doors lead out to the village square through the gallery that runs around it, so you can cook while enjoying village life.

The upstairs
A staircase leads up to a long, wide corridor punctuated with two archways. This corridor is the backbone of the first floor. Just like in the past, this level is dedicated to everyday life and to receiving guests. At one end, a double door leads into a vast lounge filled with natural light from three windows with 18th-century wrought-iron guardrails. It is said that King Henry of Navarre himself set foot on the oak strip floor of this reception room, which is heated up by a plain fireplace flanked with old brick piers.

Timber posts separate the lounge from a library space where shelves line one wall and a brick flue can be seen in the party wall between the house and the neighbouring property. From here, opposite the church, the view of the old square is remarkable, especially during sunsets.

Back in the corridor, a door leads into a bathroom nestled between the staircase and the library space. It is adorned with stucco decorative features, shimmering colours and a fine fireplace. A window looks down at it from the top of the stairwell.

Opposite this bathroom, there are two large bedrooms that lie next to each other above the gallery running along the small side street. Each bedroom is filled with natural light from two windows and each one also has a fireplace with an elegant timber mantel, flanked with tall, old built-in cupboards that are also made of wood. In one of these bedrooms, the old wood strip flooring is punctuated with long crosspieces. Opposite the second bedroom, there is a small shower room with a washbasin, a bidet, a lavatory and a floor of terracotta tiles.

At the other end of the corridor, there is a summer lounge with a floor of old, round terracotta tiles that recall the entrance hall’s flooring. One of its three walls adorned with wooden panelling hides two doors: the first one conceals a cupboard and the second one leads up to the loft via a centuries-old ladder. This summer lounge is flooded with natural light from different sides. Two sets of French windows – one on each side of a stone fireplace – lead out onto a small north-facing terrace: the perfect refuge for summer evenings outside in absolute privacy.

The attic
All the terraced houses that edge the old square connect to each other through their loft spaces. This design made it possible to go from one house to another without being seen. This was especially useful during the French Wars of Religion, which were particularly virulent in this region of France.

The roof frame is entirely battened and in excellent condition. The outer wall, which dates back to the period when the house was built, has been preserved remarkably well. The central space could be converted into one or two extra bedrooms. To add more natural light here, in addition to the light brought in by the gabled dormer, skylights could be fitted in the roof as this is tolerated by France’s public architects in built heritage, despite the towering church opposite the house being listed as a historical monument.