We are a Franco-Swiss couple. When we lived in Geneva, we dreamed of finding a holiday home in the south-west of France to make our new family home. We wanted to find a place to live, create and share. It was on one of our journeys between Geneva and Bordeaux that chance, or perhaps destiny, whispered the name Sarlat to us. Then our visit to Aiguevive changed everything. We fell in love in front of the gate before we even went in. The bubbling of the water in the monumental mill stream, the light on the stones, the serenity of the place all spoke to us. And we were even more convinced by the former owners, whose gracious presence really touched us. It seemed obvious to us: the house chose us just as much as we chose it. Since then, our intuition has been proven right every day. Aiguevive is not just beautiful to look at, it's a living and breathing place.
Home to a chaplain to the King of France in the 17th century, the Aiguevive estate is a place which has been shaped by the centuries. At its heart is the Directoire period manor house, built at the end of the 18th century, whose sober, symmetrical architecture reflects the period’s elegance: balanced spaces, wide windows looking out over the landscape, generous ceiling heights, stone fireplaces and winding staircases. A home that is both noble and peaceful, designed to look good and last. The Italian-style terraced garden and cypress trees form a harmonious whole, shaped by time and by those who have loved it.
The history of Aiguevive dates back to the 15th century, when it was home to the most prosperous water mill in the Dommes region and an oil mill. They are vestiges that remain of the estate's rich and vibrant rural past. The river still runs and its murmur accompanies the days like a continuous memory of the past. Our gîte - La Maison d'Armelle - was the studio of the painter Lucien de Maleville, an artistic figure in the post-impressionist era. The house, designed as an orangery that opens onto the grounds, still exudes the same spirit: the light and simplicity of its lines call for inner silence. Finally, the five-hectare organically farmed walnut grove forms the backdrop to the estate.
Aiguevive is a welcoming, discreet and lively space – both a refuge and a stage, where anything can be invented. It is a place that has been designed as a shared living space. Everything here is alive: the stream runs through the property like an artery. It feeds the mill, irrigates the gardens and borders the reception hall. Its water isn’t just decorative, it structures, founds and energises. It provides a rhythm to the day and soothes at night. The natural pool - the mill stream - hand-dug and built into the rock, calls on you to take a dip in unchlorinated spring water. It reflects the ancestral history of the estate and an ecological and aesthetic vision. Our guests come here to recharge their batteries, but also to be inspired, to come together, to experience a meaningful place.
"La Belle Étoile", in La Roque-Gageac: a terrace overlooking the Dordogne, fine cuisine, elegant dining, attentive service and a place to return to to enjoy peace and quiet. "Les Courtines", just next door: a simpler place, but eminently charming for a sunny lunch at the foot of the cliff, and a moment of pure taste enjoyment. "La Promenade", in Saint-Julien: a small village restaurant just as we like, with a tasty, generous menu of the day, served without pretension but with plenty of love. And finally, the "Pizzeria des Templiers", in Domme: nestling in the ramparts of the fortified town, as friendly as its dough is delicious. A gourmet stopover with authentic charm.
The entire estate can be rented on a weekly basis: the 600 m² manor house, the gîte, Maison d'Armelle and its outbuildings can become a large family home, where several generations or people with different proclivities can come together. On the ground floor, the large 80 m² through hall, with a grand piano under the vaulted ceiling, doubles as a music room. It leads to a summer lounge, a library, a billiards room, a dining room and kitchen with a fireplace. It opens onto the south-facing terrace, which has an imperial table for 16 guests. On the first floor, the 40 m² open-plan winter lounge with its fireplace opens onto a south-facing terrace. Upstairs there are four large bedrooms with king-size beds and en suite bathrooms. On the second floor, a wide corridor leads to four bedrooms with en suite bathrooms. To the north, an Olympic-sized natural swimming pool, a former mill pool made of brick, is fed by a stream that crosses the estate from one end to the other, providing freshness and tranquillity. To the south, cascading terraces open onto wooded grounds, arranged around a pool with water jets.
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La Maison d’Armelle, with a surface area of 150 m², can accommodate six people. Accessed from the walnut grove, it has an entrance on the ground floor that opens onto a 40 m² natural stone living area, a fully equipped kitchen, a shower room and toilets. Upstairs, a hallway with a large dressing room leads to a TV lounge and three bedrooms with queen-size beds, two of which have en-suite shower rooms.
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The manor house has one guest room with a king-size bed, its own entrance and an en suite bathroom with toilet. It boasts uninterrupted views over the lake and the Bastide de Domme, and guests have access to the pool in the grounds. Breakfast can be served, upon request, in the dining room or, in good weather, on the terrace.
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