Lectoure, Midi-Pyrénées 32700

On a hilltop near Lectoure, in the Gers, An 18th-century chartreuse with service quarters and 22 ha grounds. A drive of over 300 m, sheltered by the canopy of centuries-old cedars, leads from the departmental road to the buildings. Two long, rectangular structures stand on a gravelled terrace within some 22 ha of grounds planted with mature trees. From the open ground between them, the view reaches to the village church tower and, beyond it, to the outline of the château. At the rear, a terrace rests against a fortified stone wall above a former fish pond. Facing the valley, the chartreuse offers 580 m² of living space, almost all on a single level. Remodelled in the 18th century, it follows the form of the late-17th-century country houses of the Gascon countryside: long and low, with a gabled roof of barrel tiles pierced by five dormers. The symmetrical main facade centres on a glazed double door, with four bays on either side. Patinated lime render coats the stone walls dressed-stone lintels and jambs frame the arched openings. A tower flanks each end of the central block, and an orangery extends the south wing. Slightly apart stand a garden chalet and a timber above-ground pool.