Location
In a village eight kilometres north of Uzès, twenty minutes from the motorways, three quarters of an hour from Avignon (TGV station) and Nîmes (TGV station and Nîmes-Garons airport).
A school, a multimedia library and a village shop with café run by local residents enliven the village, which stretches between two geologies, camped on a rocky limestone ridge and separated to the south by a red stone hill mined as far back as the Romans for tis ochre seams. The landscapes are shaped by vineyards, cultivated plains and the green desert of the garrigue scrublands which extend in the heart of the "golden triangle" of the Gard, defined by Nîmes, Arles and Avignon, between the valleys of the Rhône, the Cèze and the Gardon.
Description
The property is located to the west of the old moat, where the village developed, not far from the church and the castle. It extends over a narrow plot of land that reaches from the north, where it is bordered by a street, to the south, where it extends into an inner courtyard, accessed by an alleyway through a wide double carriage entrance. The house has two levels, which partly cover the courtyard paved with cobblestones and the former sheep barn.
The southern elevation, adorned by a generous climbing honeysuckle during the summer months, is built of small carefully grouted limestones. The ground floor features a barrel vault opening onto the courtyard, and the first floor has two openings, including the entrance door to the house, which can be accessed via an external staircase. Beyond the triple overhanging Roman-tiled cornice, the gable roof, covered with monk and nun tiles, conceals a terrace which can be accessed from the top floor.
The house
The modest building made of local stone belongs to the village which developed considerably in the 17th century under the impetus of the local lord and master builder, and which sheltered the many craftsmen who worked there. The living quarters extend over the first floor and the attic, while the ground floor, formerly dedicated to the activity of a small village farm, is now used as a storage space.
The ground floor
From the street, through a carriage gate, the inner courtyard forms an enclosure between the alley and the house. Partly open to the sky, it extends under the house covered by a dry stone vault, which leads to two rooms at the end of the courtyard: the former sheep barn and a vast storage room. At the south-western corner of the house, a staircase lined with reused Provencal terracotta tiles and cement tiles leads to the first floor of the house.
The first floor
Once you have climbed the outside staircase, the French window opens onto a living room with two arched openings in the partition wall, linking the living room to the south with the kitchen-dining room. The floors are paved with terracotta tiles, which are skilfully enhanced by the white colour of the walls and ceilings, some of which feature exposed joists. To the north follow two naturally cool rooms: the first, on the west side, is used as a bedroom and has retained an old marble fireplace, which is now blocked up; the second, on the east side, features a ceiling with three parallel barrel-vaults and has been converted into a bathroom.
The second floor
The top floor is accessed from the kitchen via a wooden staircase set at right angles. It opens onto a generous attic space, currently used as an office; it is largely lit to the south by a glass door that leads to the terrace and also serves two bedrooms. As on the lower level, the floors are paved with terracotta tiles, and the exposed roof structure, painted white like the walls and supported by the original rough-cut wooden beams, has a skylight in each bedroom. The terrace, created in the lower part of the south-facing roof, is a pleasant place to relax with its view on the roofs and the surrounding nature.
Our opinion
A humble and discreet dwelling in the heart of an authentic Uzège village, this house is a fine example of the craftsmanship of the men who patiently worked the garrigue soils to ensure the wealth of a village whose past grandeur has now given way to a life sheltered from the contemporary tumult.
To push open the entrance door is to find refuge in a haven of contentment; to appreciate the freshness of its soft stones, under the dancing air of hot days; to enjoy the embracing warmth of a wood fire after a battle with winter frosts or with the mistral wind and its infinite blue; to gather on the church square to feel the awakening of a Provençal village, at nightfall; to let days flow past until birds start singing again, when nature awakens with the arrival of swallows.
Reference 281037
Land registry surface area | 126 m2 |
Main building surface area | 120 m2 |
Number of bedrooms | 3 |
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.