Property SAINTES (17) Price: $ 1,130,300 USD

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Surface 1 500 m² Land 50 ha

GREAT HISTORY OF HUMANITY - WONDERFUL ROMAN ABBEY AND ITS NEOCLASSIC CASTLE - ON ONE OF THE PILGRIMAGE ROUTES TO SAINT JACQUES DE COMPOSTELA - ANCIENT PLACES OF CONSERVATION OF HOLY RELICS - HERITAGE IN RISK - 12TH CENTURY ROMAN ABBEY - ELEGANT NEOCLASSIC CASTLE EARLY 19TH CENTURY - SUPERB PARK OF 50 HECTARES IN ONE BLOCK AND FREE - RIVER - MIRACULOUS FOUNTAIN. REGISTERED AND CLASSIFIED MH. SAINTES, NEW AQUITAINE. Founded in 1137, this Cistercian abbey on the road to Santiago de Compostela, preserves a rare abbey chapel from the 12th century with a very beautiful Roman-Byzantine facade. In a rare environmental haven of 50 hectares in a single block and free crossed by a river and a Cistercian vestige of hydraulic system, this property also consists of a very elegant neoclassical castle at the beginning of the 19th century, very large and tall 19th century agricultural buildings with exceptional architecture, remains of a medieval mill. The whole thing needs to be restored urgently. Facing the sober semi-circular entrance gate, at the end of an avenue of majestic secular plane trees, stands the very elegant neoclassical castle built around 1840, dominating the U-shaped courtyard closed with stone balustrades, marking on one side a sumptuous 19th century agricultural sheds with monumental architecture, on the other the 12th century Romanesque abbey chapel with a sumptuous facade. The 12th century abbey chapel has a simple basilica plan, which has been shortened in depth as evidenced by the truncated dome of the choir. The particularly beautiful and harmonious facade has three rows of arcades decorated with wolf teeth above a large IHS-engraved pediment installed by the Jesuits managing the abbey estate in the 17th and 18th centuries. Inside, the volume is impressive, we descend into the stone-paved chapel by a large staircase, the vaulted ceiling was decorated with missing domes, one of which was replaced by a pyramid, placed on the outside of the pincer holding a nail from the Cross of Christ. The bays are small, semi-circular vaulted, with beautiful monochrome stained glass windows with typically Cistercian geometric figures. The right side of the chapel bears traces of the covered gallery of the cloister. This church is classified as a Historic Monument and was the subject of official work in 2022 by the Ministry of Culture. The castle was built after 1832, probably around 1840, on the foundations of an 18th century building, in a neoclassical spirit typical of the Restoration, partly in large stone apparatus, with particularly careful architecture taken up at the beginning of the 20th century in a most elegant Louis XVI style. On the park side it has a very beautiful symmetrical facade with 11 bays around a central front body topped with a pediment and decorated with a portico with Doric columns giving access to the entrance hall, all under an attic floor and a balustrade camouflaging the roof. On the courtyard side, the building is L-shaped; The particularly careful architecture presents a very rich Louis XVI ornamentation of garlands, consoles, slits, moldings, pilasters and consoles supporting armorial pediments on each wing. Inside, the crossing hall decorated with antique niches, pilasters and columns in faux marble houses a very elegant and airy staircase in a helical ellipse on a superbly curved stringer, painted with wisteria. On the ground floor, large kitchen, three utility rooms, boiler room. Living room decorated with low wood paneling, a Neo-Renaissance fireplace, access on one level onto the park via a French window. A small living room with window on one level opening onto the garden. A living room decorated with low paneling, large double doors, a trumeau. A living room with herringbone floor. A large double adjoining library lounge decorated with low paneling, overmantel, large library with furniture forming a double door, wc. On the first floor, seven bedrooms, four bathrooms, toilet. On the second floor, nine bedrooms, three bathrooms, toilet. An immense and splendid hangar of more than 500m2 on the ground dominates the courtyard, most probably used as a winery or agricultural barn, built in the 19th century, the very luxurious facade in large stone apparatus features a large monumental arch under a large pediment decorated with agricultural instruments in reference to the harvest (scythe, fork, rake, sheaf of wheat, flail, sieve, shovel, broom, and a bombard), all encompassed in a larger pediment covering the building. Inside, the splendid volume is structured with monumental columns, leaving the volume very airy and easy to use. In the 20th century this place was used as a winery, in a corner a distillery was built. Another large shed used as a cellar is located next to the castle, on its facade we can see niches. All the buildings are in very poor condition and need to be completely restored. Sumptuous 50 hectare park in one block and free. Rare almost perfect land base, rectangular, free of any occupation, with a river crossing it. Superb century-old trees, plane trees, redwoods, numerous trees in the park. Living water, hydraulic system undoubtedly inherited from the Cistercians. A miraculous fountain in the park (to be verified, inaccessible). Ruin of mill (to be verified, inaccessible). Historic monument protection: - Remains of the Romanesque chapel: classification - Facades and roofs of the 18th century castle and stables: inscription - In its entirety, the abbey, as well as the ground and the basement: inscription Situation : - 5km to first shops and services. - 11km all shops and services. Paris at 3:45 am by train. - 20km from the Gironde estuary. - 38km from Saintes. Paris at 3:00 by train. - 53km from Royan, beaches, sea. - 70km from Angouleme. Paris at 1h51 by train. - 80km from Bordeaux, Paris at 2h08 by train. Price: 1,072,000 Euros fees included (including 6.72% fees payable by the buyer). Information on the risks to which this property is exposed is available on the Géorisques website: www.georisques.gouv.fr