Eymoutiers, Limousin 87120

A listed residence and its French formal garden overlooking the Vienne River, in the heart of a dynamic historic city, 40 minutes from Limoges. The architectural style of the house is emblematic of the important tanning industry, which was particularly active in the 17th and 18th centuries. The three-storey edifice was built in 1609 by one of the most notable families in the town. Trapezoid in plan, it has a tall roof with four flat-tiled pitches, which contains a large drying loft with wooden cladding in the form of a saltire and a central dormer window facing south. This large historic residence of approx. 320 m, spanning four storeys of cob-filled and rendered half-timbered walls, is actually the result of the combination of three houses their ground floors and attics were used for tannery activities, whilst the two upper floors were reserved for residential purposes. The original layout has not changed over the centuries, the lodgings of the master of the house are still located on the upper floors. A gate and a wicket door on the street side open onto the 'Directoire courtyard' in front of the south elevation and lead to a French formal garden to the east. The southern facade features a dozen rectangular, stone-framed and small-paned windows. On the ground floor, there are three large, arched openings with security grilles. Four narrow windows on the northern facade overlook a small quay where a boat or canoe can be moored. Finally, the eastern facade, with a few straight windows and shutters on the first floor, is flanked by an annex with small windows and a gable roof. This projecting structure stands on thin wooden pillars.