Tonnerre, Burgundy 89700

An elegant 18th-century house listed as a historical monument on the banks of a millrace that joins the River Armançon in the charming town of Tonnerre in Burgundy. The grand house lies on the main street that runs through Tonnerre, near the medieval hospital Hôtel-Dieu de Tonnerre. An imposing doorway leads into a court. Its carriage door is opened with an iron mechanism that dates back to the time of construction. The property used to belong to sister of Charles d'Éon de Beaumont, a diplomat who served King Louis XV of France. The edifice has two symmetrical pavilions without a central section. The elevations and roofs, listed as a historical monument, were recently restored. The elevations are plain, rendered and punctuated with rectangular or arched small-paned windows. They are characteristic of the 18th century. The roofs have regional flat tiles, three or four slopes that gently flare outwards and arched stone dormers. They are especially characteristic of local architecture. Lastly, the garden, dotted with age-old plane trees, extends down to the banks of a millrace that joins the River Armançon. This backdrop offers the absolute calm of nature in the heart of a town.