An art nouveau family house with a 630m² walled garden
in Autun town centre, near the beautiful Morvan hills of Burgundy
in Autun town centre, near the beautiful Morvan hills of Burgundy
Autun,
SAONE-ET-LOIRE
burgundy
71400
FR
Location
The property lies in the centre of Autun, a historical town in France’s Saône-et-Loire department in Burgundy. The house, which stands in an urban backdrop, is only 500 metres from the square Place du Champs de Mars – Autun’s beating heart where you can find cafés, restaurants, shops, a weekly market, a municipal theatre, a town hall and a renowned secondary school. The town, which has Gallo-Roman origins, includes a wealth of built heritage, from its Roman theatre to Saint-Lazare cathedral. On foot, you can reach everyday shops and amenities easily, including schools and healthcare centres. Le Creusot high-speed rail station is a 30-minute drive away. From there, you can get to Lyon in 45 minutes and Paris in 1 hour and 20 minutes by rail. By car, you can reach the town of Beaune in 45 minutes, Lyon in 2 hours, Geneva in 2 hours and 30 minutes and Paris in 3 hours.
Description
The house dates back to the early 20th century. Its architecture displays a plain art nouveau style. The dwelling has a ground floor, a first floor and a second floor in the roof, which has a long overhang. The facade has three windows on the first floor and two windows and a central entrance door on the ground floor. This front door stands at the top of a flight of four steps. The design of this facade is symmetrical. The windows are slightly arched and set in ashlar surrounds with bargeboards that have foliage motifs. They have curved wooden frames. Two of the first-floor windows have balconies with wrought-iron balustrades with foliage motifs. The slate roof has two half-hipped ends each crowned with a finial. Five brick chimney stacks rise up from the roof, contrasting in colour with the slate tiles. A double gate of wrought iron leads onto the driveway. The rear elevation is classical in style without ornamentation. Six windows fitted with shutters punctuate it. A central section protrudes from this rear elevation like an adjoining tower, crowned with a gable roof. It houses the staircase and has two windows, staggered in relation to the windows in the rest of the elevation. Three doors lead out to the garden and terrace, including one in the basement that can be seen on this side. A walled garden covering 630m² completes the property.
The house
The house has a ground floor with reception rooms, a first floor with bedrooms and bathrooms and a second floor in the roof space, which is partly converted. There is also a basement. The elegant dwelling has kept its original features: art nouveau window frames, marble fireplaces, cast-iron radiators, cement floor tiles and wood strip floors. The slate roof was fully renovated in 2020.
The ground floor
The ground floor has a central entrance hall with a floor of cement tiles. This hallway connects to the different rooms. On both sides, glazed double doors lead into two bright, symmetrical rooms. On the right, there is a lounge with dado panelling and a Louis XV fireplace that has a brass firebox and a pale marble mantel that looks like alabaster. On the left, there is a dining room with a Louis XV fireplace that has a red marble mantel and a cast-iron firebox. Wood strip flooring extends across the two rooms. The curved frames of the windows underline the house’s art nouveau style. Next, there are two rooms on either side of the staircase. On the right, there is an office or reading room with a view of the garden, a Louis XV fireplace made of marble and ceramic, and a wood strip floor. Opposite, there is a kitchen that was recently renovated. It leads out onto a former balcony that has been turned into a terrace overlooking the garden. At the end of the hallway, a door leads out to the garden via outdoor ashlar steps. A lavatory and a storeroom complete this level.
The first floor
A half-turn staircase with a wooden balustrade leads up to a central landing that connects to four bedrooms. Three of them have a fireplace. Wood strip flooring extends across these bedrooms. A bathroom and a shower room that needs to be modernised complete the first floor.
The second floor
The second floor has two bedrooms that need to be renovated. One of them has a washbasin. There is also a loft space up here.
The basement
The basement cannot be seen from the street. It offers a whole extra level. It includes a boiler room with a lavatory and a bright utility room that was originally designed like a greenhouse. These two rooms lead out to the garden. A spacious cellar runs along the street side of the house. And a wine cellar lies beneath the stairs.
The garden
The walled garden is taken up by a lawn with two gravel paths that are perpendicular to one another and form a cross. In the middle, a stone fountain marks the point where the paths cross. An age-old cherry tree stands at the end of the garden, beside a Japanese maple, rose bushes, apple trees and shrubs of different varieties, including a prunus tree, a burning bush, a hibiscus, a laurustinus and a guelder rose. Perennials offer successive blooms over the course of the seasons. A peppervine covers the house’s western wall and grows alongside the path that leads to the car port.
Our opinion
This authentic family home is a gem set in the heart of the historical town of Autun. Its backdrop is well balanced between nature and amenities for everyday life, which are just a stroll away. The roofing and heating have been renovated, but the interior has kept its original features such as its art nouveau window frames, marble fireplaces, cast-iron radiators, floor tiles and wood strip floors. The house and its walled garden have many assets, including absolute privacy, which is rare for a town centre. In short, this property is an excellent choice that combines historical character with modern comfort in an environment that promises a high quality of life.
295 000 €
Fees at the Vendor’s expense
Reference 871512
| Land registry surface area | 630 m² |
| Main building floor area | 214 m² |
| Number of bedrooms | 5 |
French Energy Performance Diagnosis
Information on the risks to which this property is exposed is available on the website: www.georisques.gouv.fr
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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.
