An authentic 18th-century townhouse converted into a B&B and restaurant in the heart of the historic district of Semur-en-Auxois.
The historic capital of the Auxois region, known in the 18th century as "the little Athens of Burgundy", Semur-en-Auxois is officially listed as a "remarkable heritage site" and a " town of art and history". On the edge of the Morvan Regional Nature Park, 1 hour from Dijon and 20 minutes from Montbard and its TGV train station, Semur is also 10 minutes from the A6 motorway. The town offers all the day-to-day shops, facilities and services. Set in a bend of the River Armançon, this was a fort in the High Middle Ages. A ducal administrative centre and a major economic hub, the site was fortified several times. Today, the massive towers and curtain walls built during the Hundred Years' War still dominate the landscape, lending the town its emblematic silhouette.
Situated in the historic centre of Semur, opposite the Collegiate Church of Notre-Dame, the foundations of which date back to the 11th century, the residence dominates a cobbled square surrounded by timber-framed buildings, townhouses and numerous shops within walking distance. The townhouse has a classic, sober architectural style and faces north-east/south-west. Its front facade is harmoniously punctuated by fourteen windows arranged in seven bays. The slate mansard-style gambrel roof has two dormer windows, each crowned with an arched pediment featuring a high-relief male or female head. This is how those who may have been the residence's first inhabitants now watch over it. A double flight of approach stairs leads up to the main door. The sober doorway features a simple rusticated surround topped by an eyebrow lintel. This is the only entrance to the building on the street side.
The townhouse
The ground floor
Once through the door, a vast entrance hall is revealed, tiled in Burgundy stone and bathed in light. The light slender shape of the grand half-turn staircase, with its three flights of steps leading to the first floor, immediately catches the eye. The entrance hall connects to several different areas. To the right, a door reveals a room used as a study, with a view of the square and the collegiate church. To the left of the staircase, a second door leads to the lower level, where the restaurant is located, while a passageway connects to a breakfast room. On the west side, a room with period panelling contains a billiard table. The doors and the woodwork have been preserved wherever they have remained in place, that is virtually almost everywhere in the building. Finally, the door on the left leads to the two large sitting rooms. Separated by a partition with a large opening, they form a very luminous full-width space. The first boasts the elegance of a grand reception room, with its original quarry tile floor and French-style beamed ceiling. It is extended by the second, which has a more contemporary feel with a stucco ceiling and herringbone parquet flooring. This is followed by a large kitchen with a quarry tile floor that, combined with its modern fixtures and fittings, offers the best of both worlds. Finally, a small, light and quiet room at the back of the house can be used for any purpose.
The first floor
Served by the grand staircase in the entrance hall, this floor comprises three separate guest bedrooms, each with its own bathroom or shower room with toilet. Beamed ceilings, marble fireplaces, wood panelling and herringbone parquet or quarry tile floors all combine to make guests want to come back again and again. The staircase with its wrought iron banister culminates in an airy landing which, in addition to the guest rooms, serves the private quarters and the access to the attic. The first suite comprises a bedroom with hardwood flooring, a spacious bathroom and a room with hexagonal ...
Stichworte
Anzahl der Schlafzimmer: 6, Anzahl der Badezimmer: 2, Bundesland: Bourgogne
