A former chapel that was converted into a family home in 1950,
located on the site of a miracle and over the vestiges of a monastery
located on the site of a miracle and over the vestiges of a monastery
Sens,
YONNE
burgundy
89100
FR
Location
Located 110 kilometres from Paris, the property is less than 1.5 hours from the capital in the north of Burgundy and the Yonne department, at the crossroads of the Seine-et-Marne, Loiret and Aube departments. Overlooking the town of Sens with 27,000 inhabitants and only 15 minutes by foot from its train station, which provides service to Paris, Dijon and Lyon, the property, with its chapel, is perched on one of the hills looking out over the city, while a portion of its land descends down the flank of the hillside. Lastly, for nature lovers, the forests of Soucy-Launay, Voisines, Vauluisant and Othe, less than 30 minutes away, are the perfect settings for pleasurable strolls through their forests made up of oak trees and other deciduous trees typical to the region.
Description
The chapel was built on nearly 49,370 m² of land, a large portion of which is located on the hillside, which ensures that the property’s unobstructed views will last in perpetuity. With two entrances, the property is accessible via an initial double gate, which opens onto a drive bordered by lime trees. This drive leads to the former chapel that has been converted into a dwelling, as well as a cottage, the whole encircled by a garden, one end of which provides a panoramic view of the city. In addition, there is a second double gate, a little further below, which opens onto a drivable track leading to the garage and covered swimming pool, located in an immense former greenhouse that has been divided in two, not far from which stands a woodshed.
A deconsecrated site of worship with a slender silhouette that has conserved its bell tower with its pointed, tented roof, the main building, built out of plaster-coated rubble stone, has three storeys over a crypt and is topped with a steep slate gable roof, which is, in turn, punctuated by skylights. With arched small-paned windows and doors topped with glazed fanlights and safeguarded by white wooden louvred shutters, the dwelling is accessible via a natural flagstone forecourt. On the bell tower side, which crowns one of its gable ends, the building is extended by a pointed stone wall incrusted with stained glass windows inserted into rounded stone niches, vestiges of the former monastery. On the other side, a forepart, topped by a small patio protected by a stone balustrade and accessible from the first floor, contains a conservatory that provides panoramic views of the city, traversed by the Yonne River, as well as the surrounding countryside.
A deconsecrated site of worship with a slender silhouette that has conserved its bell tower with its pointed, tented roof, the main building, built out of plaster-coated rubble stone, has three storeys over a crypt and is topped with a steep slate gable roof, which is, in turn, punctuated by skylights. With arched small-paned windows and doors topped with glazed fanlights and safeguarded by white wooden louvred shutters, the dwelling is accessible via a natural flagstone forecourt. On the bell tower side, which crowns one of its gable ends, the building is extended by a pointed stone wall incrusted with stained glass windows inserted into rounded stone niches, vestiges of the former monastery. On the other side, a forepart, topped by a small patio protected by a stone balustrade and accessible from the first floor, contains a conservatory that provides panoramic views of the city, traversed by the Yonne River, as well as the surrounding countryside.
As Legend Has It...
Saint Bond’s story revolves around a tragedy: born near Sens in the middle of the 6th century, as an adult he set off to live in Spain with his wife. His parents, who had not heard from him, finally received some word of their son from pilgrims coming back from Santiago de Compostela. Arriving to their son’s house unannounced, they were to find that he was not in, but their daughter-in-law welcomed them and gave them her and her husband’s own room, before leaving to tell her husband the good news. However, the latter, who had already returned home before hearing about his parents’ arrival and, finding them in his bed, killed them both by mistake, thinking that he had just surprised his unfaithful wife and her lover. Aware of his double parricide, Bond went to Jerusalem to seek a pardon before returning to Sens via Rome. From the Bishop Artemius, the nineteenth of Sens, he received as a penance the order to constantly water, using the resources of the Yonne River, a dry stick planted at the top of a hill, until it started to produce leaves and flowers. Thanks to the dedication of the hermit, who lived in strict solitude and austerity, as well as the other miracles he performed, the stick miraculously turned into a tree and was eventually used in the construction of the wooden rafters of the church, which was later built on this very site.
The Chapel or Main Dwelling
The ground floor
The dwelling’s central section, corresponding to the chapel’s nave and cadenced by five small-paned windows and three glass doors, was converted into the living room. With a cabochon tile floor, a staircase in the middle of the room descends to the crypt, while the wooden guardrails that safeguard access to the latter can be dismantled, if need be, in order to shut the trapdoor and make the whole room usable for receptions. On one end, the former apse has been separated from the main building by glass double doors, creating a conservatory with picture windows overlooking the valley and its river as well as the bustling city, seen from up high and afar, and occasionally through the fuzzy filter of morning mist. On the left side, is a traditional, tiled kitchen, undoubtedly located in the former sacristy, one end of which is illuminated by a window and a small side door that opens onto the garden. Lastly, off to one side of the living room, a spiral open-riser masonry staircase, painted white and safeguarded by a wooden railing, leads to the first floor.
The first floor
With oak hardwood floors throughout, the landing provides access to four bedrooms. The bedroom to the west looks out, through a window, onto the lime tree avenue, while the one to the east opens onto a balcony. This floor also includes a bathroom, the walls of which are decorated in green earthenware tiles, as well as a separate lavatory.
The second floor
The second floor includes a bedroom, a shower room and a lavatory as well as a room with a mezzanine that is currently used as a billiard room, but whose use is absolutely polyvalent and could be turned into a game room, office or additional bedroom.
Low level
Partly underground, the crypt and its underground passages are, without a doubt, the property’s centrepieces and reveal the prior existence of the monastery. The crypt, currently used as a library with hardwood floors and floor-to-ceiling wood panelling, is illuminated by two magnificent and colourful stained glass windows, deftly decorated with vegetal patterns, the ages of which are unknown to the current occupants, but could date to the time when the hermitage was constructed, as could the skilfully carved stone well that still supplies water. In addition, this room is extended by deep underground passages, currently sealed off at around fifty metres from their entrance and believed to have once communicated with the cathedral of Sens.
The Cottage
This building has two levels, which are completely independent from one another thanks to their own separate entrances. The ground floor, which is accessible via a door on the garden side, includes a luminous bedroom with a tile floor, as well as a shower room with lavatory. As for the upstairs, it is accessible via an outside staircase, which opens onto a bedroom with pine hardwood floors as well as a washbasin and lavatory.
Each floor measures approximately 15 m² and is heated with fuel oil, as is the main dwelling.
The Greenhouse, Swimming Pool, Garage and Woodshed
The bromine-treated swimming pool, 4.5 x 10 metres, is located in a one-of-a-kind, out-of-the-ordinary place, and yet perfect for doing laps and cooling off: a large section of the monastery’s former greenhouse.
The other part of the greenhouse, reserved for the garage of approximately 53 m², which includes storage space and a workshop, is easily accessible thanks to the small drivable track that leads to the property’s second entrance.
In addition, a woodshed stands not too far from the greenhouse, while the latter could once again be transformed by modifying the proportion of the spaces reserved for the swimming pool and garage.
The Outdoor Spaces
If a large portion of the property is unusable because it is located on the slope of the hillside below the chapel, this does guarantee the property’s long-lasting enjoyment of its panoramic view without the risk of a neighbouring construction ever concealing it.
In addition, there are two gardens with outside lighting: the first is accessible via the grand drive lined with multi-century lime trees. Landscaped with lawns and gravel paths and planted with a wide variety of trees and shrubs, it skirts the chapel and cottage, while one end of it, directly above the hillside, provides incredible views of the surrounding countryside. As for the second, also accessible via a drive and located slightly below the main dwelling, it includes the outbuildings – garage, swimming pool and woodshed – and communicates with the first via a small sloping path as well as a couple of stairs.
Our opinion
This property, surrounded by peace and quiet with an undeniable and inspiring energy, overlooks the valley and provides breath-taking views that combine the pastoral with the industrial, the countryside with city life in a contrasting harmony that is reminiscent of the contradictions linked to the life of Saint Bond and a nod to the possibility of creating bold and unprecedented beauty from seemingly divergent combinations.
The large family house, which was once a chapel, remains bathed in the tranquillity that has inhabited these walls since they were first built. Everything here is functional, including the modest-size kitchen, enabling its future occupants to feel instantly at home, even though the dwelling might not be equipped with every modern amenity. In addition, the crypt with its ancient stained glass windows creates a wonderful space for spending tireless hours meditating, working or reading. As for the small, independent dwelling, this could be used as a holiday cottage for visiting friends or as guestrooms on this historical property with unparalleled views.
630 000 €
Fees at the Vendor’s expense
Reference 702029
| Land registry surface area | 4 ha 93 a 66 ca |
| Main building surface area | 238 m2 |
| Number of bedrooms | 7 |
| Outbuilding surface area | 100 m2 |
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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.
