Cazères, Midi-Pyrénées 31220

40 minutes south of Toulouse, a 18th-century manor house, with outbuildings in 4, 000 m of grounds. This property was built around 1760 and then rebuilt during the 18th century by the Marquis de Sers. It occupies the same site as a medieval fortress dating back to the 13th century. The rectangular building is entirely made of brick and boasts a pavilion at each of its four corners. Protruding brick cornices denote the separation between the two storeys of the edifice and underline the roof. On the faade, a semi-circular arched doorway sets the tone, whilst in the equivalent place at the rear, there is a rectangular French window. The faade faces the village square that occupies the manor house's former domain, with views to the horizon of the green hills that overlook the municipality. In front of the edifice, the garden / courtyard is planted with rose bushes and rhododendrons, under the finely statured branches of two horse chestnut trees and two lime trees. Together, they provide freshness as well as shade in summer and light plus warmth in winter.The courtyard is surrounded by three buildings: the manor house, former stables and a hangar, forming a coherent architectural whole that protects against prying eyes and wind. Behind this brick screen, there is a second garden - the Garonne garden - which extends up to a discrete gate to the village's church, which was the castle's chapel in bygone days. It is framed by two mounds, most likely the former medieval moat. It is square in shape and retains subtle traces of its past as an ornamental garden, with geometric patterns and an elegant thoroughness. Two fountains - one in the garden / courtyard and the other in the Garonne garden - provide a gentle touch to the place. To the west, in a discrete corner of the Garonne garden, a swimming pool stands in its rightful place, lined with irises, rose bushes, olive trees and a few palm trees.