OverviewLe Château de Bérouze
The intriguing 17th Cent. Château du Bérouze with its stone-walled mature garden stands on more than an acre of flat land at the entrance to the beautiful village of Samoëns, the only winter-sports village in France classified as a historical monument. Set in a spacious valley between soaring mountains and popular as a holiday resort both winter and summer, Samoëns is one hour from Geneva airport, an ideally accessible ski resort with five linked stations rising to 2,650 m at Flaine. The added attraction of splendid mountain walks and the charm of the village itself persuaded the present owners to settle there and eventually to buy and renovate the château, a compact stone building dating from 1676. They also landscaped the entire garden, adding a lily pond, small moat and swimming pool.
The 7-9 bed roomed château with its large reception rooms can provide a grand family home and/or high-earning holiday letting winter and summer in a spacious, self-contained apartment off the vaulted stone staircase leading to the first floor. Two main floors, each of 250 sq. m. are topped by a ballroom-sized attic with a 10m-high peak. Opportunities for further development include full height vaulted cellars and a 3 storey barn. Features of the main rooms and bedrooms are lofty French ceilings, tall windows and exposed stonework.
House and garden have been featured in design magazines and recommended by the Guardian, Sunday Telegraph and Alastair Sawday's "Special Places To Stay in France".
Overview
- Mountain views all round
- Huge double salon
- Two further reception rooms
- 6-9 bedrooms/studies
- 3 bathrooms, 1 cloakroom
- Billiard room with full-sized table
- Kitchen with Rayburn and 2 extra ovens
- Dining room table seats up to 12
- Two-storey height attic space
- Head height vaulted cellars
- Half acre landscaped garden with moat and wildlife pond
- Swimming pool
- 3-storey barn
- Full central heating (oil) + gas hob and 2 gas fired iron stoves
History
The restored Chateau overlooks a park-like south-facing garden with water features and soaring mountain backdrops. It was built as a small chateau with an adjoining chapel in 1676, using massive blocks of local limestone.
The chateau entered Savoy history as the setting of a dramatic tale of love and war during the mid-18th century. Savoy was then an independent duchy, allied with Austria against France and Spain in the War of the Austrian Succession. Its territories on the French side of the Alps were seized and occupied by Spain which sent cavalry units to Samoëns. Their dashing captain, Don Juan Juradoz, braved local hostility to woo and win the hand of a young beauty he saw leaning from the window of the chateau. The couple were married with full Spanish pomp in the village church. But the war ended within the year, and Don Juan rode off with his troops, leaving a pregnant wife who was never to hear from him again. When, years later, her daughter sought her errant father's consent to her own marriage, he was discovered to be the wealthy governor of Cadiz. In a deathbed repentance, he left his entire fortune to the daughter he had never seen, and a baggage train loaded with treasures turned up in Samoëns in 1776. His daughter's husband became the benefactor of the village and later established a college of higher studies in the chateau.
Room Descriptions
Click plan to enlarge
Grand Salon & Fireplace
One of 3 cellars
Except where stated all floors are carpeted in herringbone sea grass.
Grand salon
Large stone fireplace at one end. Library shelves at garden end turn behind an antique armoire to create mini-hallway to garden door.
Petit salon
Fireplace, ceiling height decorative cupboards, oak floor, Ceiling height bookshelves. Panelled ceiling. Option of connecting door to billiard room.
Billiard room
Option of full-sized English Victorian billiard table. Old pine wide planked floor. French ceiling.
Dining room
Quarry tiled with oak banding, semi-divided from the kitchen with shoulder height old pine panelled wall. French ceiling. Set of original painted cupboards built into wall space.
Kitchen
Stainless steel work surfaces. Antique pine dresser and old pine Shaker style cupboards. Aga Rayburn oil-fired cooker and two other built-in ovens. Quarry tiles. French ceiling. All modern equipment included.
Inner hall /salle de garde
Entrance hall from front door opens into large tile and stone flagged room with double stone arches framing a gas fired iron stove and the doorway to kitchen.
Two ceiling height double pantry/storage cupboards. Door to stairs leading to cellar and utility room with door to outside yard.
Vaulted stone staircase
Leads to first half landing with original black and white tiled floor and windows to west.
Study/bedroom
Vaulted office/bedroom
Original black and white tiled floor. Windows to north and east.
Cloakroom
Vaulted sloped ceiling. Decorative tiled floor and white fittings. Window to east.
Principal bedroom
Massive stone fireplace. Painted French ceiling. Curved corner cupboard. 2 windows overlooking garden.
Bathroom
Antique washbasin, White w.c. and bath with shower. Double painted storage cupboards.
Dressing room
Shelved on each side with various height hanging and storage space.
Ivy bedroom
South facing over garden. Antique pine wardrobe.
Bathroom
Overlooking kitchen garden. White fittings. Shelving.
Rose bedroom
Corner room (west and south) with two windows overlooking kitchen garden and main garden. Painted French ceiling. Antique pine wardrobe.
Dormitory room
Overlooks kitchen garden to west and old chapel to north. Currently with 2 single beds, 1 double bunk bed. Antique pine wardrobe. Painted French ceiling.
Bathroom
Spacious bathroom with washer/dryer and steam cabinet/shower. White fittings.
Salon/dining room
Chimney alcove with gas-burning iron stove. Built-in old pine kitchen along end wall. Wall shelves. Double painted storage cupboards. View to chapel on north side. Painted French ceiling.
Corridor with two double linen storage cupboards built into walls and door leading to
Day room
Two facing full-sized single day beds provide play space for children and/or extra beds. Linen storage in drawers underneath.
Laundry
Fitted washing machine and dryer under worktop. Sink. Electric and overhead airing/drying racks.
Stone stairway continues to…
The Tower Bedroom
Tower room
Old oak door. At present with 2 single iron beds and dressing table. Two windows to north and west.
The Attic
The Attic
Huge, 10 meter high floored attic. Stunning original oak beams and roof structure. Could be converted to bedrooms, bathrooms, grand studio.
View from large terrace towards pond
December garden and bassin
Garden pond and passing wild ducks
Three terraces for eating/barbecues/entertaining. One outside the back door, one under the 350 year old dogwood tree and one on the south facing terrace at the front of the house. Our own well pumps water through the antique stone trough, into the moat where trout breed and hide under the stone bridge. The water is then sent on underground to the wild life pond (approx. 30m x 15m) planted with water lilies and well stocked with carp, goldfish, trout, tench and frogs and visited by dragonflies and often by passing wild ducks. Next to the pond, in the sunniest corner is the (10m x 4m) swimming pool with cream tiled surround, underwater lighting and electric heating when necessary.
The three-storey garage/barn could be converted into extra or staff accommodation.
The garden has a second access gate on the west corner, and an old mazot, a Savoyard storage barn, that houses summer furniture etc.
The kitchen garden outside the back door, is laid out in traditional potager style and is well stocked with a mixture of vegetables and flowers including a mature herb garden.
There are fruit trees, masses of roses (some entwined in the old apple trees), and, on the front terrace wisteria, magnolia and a very productive chasselas grape vine.
The garden is fenced all round and stone walled on the north and west sides.
Simply by closing a hallway door, part of the 1st floor comprising 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a two-bedded day room and a salon/kitchen becomes a self-contained apartment, reached by its own door off the stone staircase.
Samoëns is a popular holiday destination, both winter and summer, so you can let, by the week or fortnight – sometimes longer - up to 5 months a year, if you so choose. We can provide a dedicated website which we had commissioned for our occasional letting business.
Samoëns
Samoëns is about an hour’s drive from Geneva airport. In the winter season there are buses direct from the airport. Trains from the airport provide swift access to Geneva from where trains at the Gare des Eaux Vives leave for Annemasse and Cluses, our nearest railway station, a 20 minute bus or taxi ride to our door.
The Village and Region
Samoëns dates back to the 9th century and is the only ski station in France to be listed as an historic village. The stone masons who built the church and old houses around its beautiful main square were renowned throughout France. Dominating the village is a hillside botanical garden with 8000 species which became a famous example of innovative landscaping at the beginning of the last century.
For more information about Samoëns and its surroundings, visit the Samoëns Tourist Office website.
Arrange a viewing
To arrange a viewing or for further details of le Château du Bérouze
please contact the owners Jack and Jane Tresidder on the details below:
Telephone:
00 33 4 50 34 95 72 from outside France
Or 04 50 34 95 72 within France
Email:
We look forward to welcoming you at the Château.
