Amboise, Centre-Val de Loire 37400

A family dwelling, facing a church, and its garden, planted with trees, in a village in the Loire Valley. In the middle of the village, facing the church, a large gate opens on to a courtyard planted with trees and grass, at the back of which stands the dwelling. With three storeys, one of which is under the eaves, it features classical, late 18th-century architecture that was clearly refurbished in the 19th century, while its plaster-coated façade, cadenced by five symmetrical vertical rows of wide windows, is draped in Virginia creeper, which contrasts nicely with the dazzling white of its tuffeau stone quoins and window/door surrounds. On the ground floor, two windows are topped with triangular pediments, whereas the three others boast a simple entablature, while, upstairs, five windows, one of which is shaped like a bull's eye, provide plenty of light for this floor. Immense and sunny, the ground-floor living areas include a large drawing room, a small sitting room and a dining room, whereas five bedrooms can be found on the first floor and two are located on the second, not far from a convertible attic space. Currently, inhabited all year long, the dwelling is in excellent condition, while an outbuilding, closing off one side of the courtyard, contains a garage, a workshop as well as caretaker's accommodations, in need of a renovation. As for the walled grounds, of nearly 8,000 m², they are articulated into two different levels and include a wooded section, whereas, not far from the dwelling, an enclosed and sunny vegetable garden provides the perfect setting for a swimming pool.