Aurignac, Midi-Pyrénées 31420

A chateau, registered as a Historical Monument, and its outbuildings over 7 hectares of grounds on a hilltop in the Comminges region. A shady drive leads to the chateau, perched on a hilltop and surrounded by verdant grounds, which has unobstructed views of the neighbouring hillsides and the Noue Valley. Having undergone several transformations over the centuries, the building has witnessed many historical events, housed notable figures and played an important role in local life.Originally a modest fortified manor house located at the top of a hill, the chateau is made up of a medieval core, a tower house from the 14th and 15th centuries, and a two-storey dwelling built in the 17th century. In the 12th and 14th centuries, an initial keep was built with small arrow slit windows similar to the ones that still exist on its southern side. Then, between 1340 and 1390, a square tower, with a circular interior housing the staircase, was constructed in order to access the keep's third storey, but it was not until 1662 that the chateau would be considerably expanded with the construction of a building abutting the keep. Reflecting several centuries, the chateau, facing southwest and northeast, is understated in appearance with its plaster-coated stone walls devoid of any ornamental decorations, three-sided or hipped barrel tile roofs and rectilinear windows for the most part. The varied formats of the latter enliven the buildings' different heights, while ashlar stone is used for the chateau's window and door surrounds as well as its quoins and red-painted wooden shutters safeguard most of its small or large-paned windows.Lastly, a verdant courtyard, bordered by walls and traversed by a pathway that is accessible via wrought-iron gates on either side, connects the dwelling with the first outbuilding, used as a garage, while two others - a barn and stable - with pointed stonework exteriors and hipped or half-hipped tile roofs extend on from the chateau itself.