A magnificent Italian-style chateau built in 1877 with splendid
grounds, nestled in the town of Écully in Greater Lyon
Lyon, RHONE rhones-alps 69000 FR

Location

From as early as the 15th century, the town of Écully benefitted from the economic growth of the former capital of Roman Gaul. Indeed, rich merchants, notables and magistrates settled in Écully’s neighbouring city, Lyon, to build remarkable dwellings there. Today, the A6 motorway takes you straight into the town of Écully, up to Paris, or down to the Mediterranean coast. And from the north of Lyon’s ring road, you can quickly get to the Alps and Switzerland. Furthermore, a well-developed public transport network connects the different towns of Greater Lyon together. You can walk from the property to the town centre in just a few minutes and you can easily reach Lyon city centre by bus or car.

Description

The chateau was built in 1877. Beyond a long wall, it comes into view as soon as you step through the property’s imposing entrance gate. The whole edifice is built of dressed stone. It is a replica of a Florentine villa in a Palladian style that bears all the traits of Vitruvian architecture – a building based on the golden ratio with three essential qualities: strength, usefulness and beauty. The number seven is represented in the number of rooms and windows and even in the garden where there are seven topiary shrubs. The chateau is square in shape and faces south. It is crowned with a flat roof. Its horizontal lines combine subtly with the verticality of its columns and tall Renaissance-style windows capped with triangular pediments. The building has a garden level, a raised ground floor, a first floor and a second floor. On both the facade and the rear elevation, a double flight of stone steps with two quarter turns and finely carved pear balusters lead up into the raised ground floor: on the north side, the steps take you to an entrance hall and on the south side the steps take you to a vast lounge with large windows at the end of a long gallery. You can also reach the interior via other entrances on each side and you can drive straight up to the foot of the chateau’s front steps. On the garden side, a flight of steps takes you down beyond the topiary shrubs to a vast lawn. The edifice is surrounded by its lush grounds. Its east side is edged with leafy trees that provide shade and coolness. Furthermore, its gallery with imposing columns protects the dwelling from the sun too. On the west side, woods make the property cosy. And in the garden, at the bottom of its steps, there is a large oval pond. Beyond this ornamental pond, your gaze is drawn to the splendid vista of greenery and open space that the garden offers.

The chateau


The garden level
This level is linked to the other floors via a staircase in the grand hall and to the garden via entrance doors on all sides of the building. This floor is filled with natural light from large windows and some glazed double doors. There are two cellars, one of which is vaulted, in the middle of the edifice. Like on the floors above it, this garden level has a hallway that connects to different rooms. These rooms are designed for everyday use. There is a pantry, a modern fitted kitchen that is spacious with a dining area featuring thick stone arches, a lounge or yoga room, a large garage, a former washing room, a steam room and a sauna – work recently begun on this sauna needs to be completed.

The ground floor
The entrance hall has stone walls and a floor tiled in a black and white checked pattern. In this hallway, a large stone staircase with three quarter turns and an overhanging section leads upstairs. This majestic staircase has a wrought-iron balustrade with floral volutes. It takes you up to the first floor, which has been turned into an apartment. This raised ground floor is made up of spacious rooms. A large arched door of finely carved wood leads to these different rooms, almost all of which have chevron parquet. They are filled with natural light from tall windows that offer views down over the grounds. There is a lounge, a living room, offices, a dining room and a lavatory. The rooms can be redesigned however you want. All the rooms are adorned with fireplaces made of marble or carved stone with trumeau mirrors and elegantly understated decorative features such as dado panelling, mouldings and cornices. The carpet in the large lounge hides a unique star-patterned parquet floor. Some fireplaces are not used and only add to the decor. A serving hatch hidden in a cupboard was once used to link the garden-level kitchen to the first-floor dining room. It could be used again.

The first floor
The first floor has been turned into an apartment and is almost identical to the ground floor. It has a hall with wood strip flooring and wooden decor: the dado panelling, doors, frames, shutters and cornices are all made of wood with carved mouldings. There is also a lounge with a dining area, a small kitchen that takes you into the living room, five bedrooms, two bathrooms and a lavatory. Behind a door on the landing, a wooden staircase leads up to the second floor.

The second floor
This top floor is only partially used today. It is identical to the floor below it with a landing connecting to rooms arranged in an arc. It could easily be turned into a separate apartment. There are many windows, but they are smaller than those on the floors below. Yet natural light fills this level.

The grounds

The grounds surround the chateau and separate it from the property’s entrance. They make the place calm and offer a variety of views. A band of trees runs around the building, giving it absolute privacy, even though the edifice stands in the middle of the town. On the south side, a vast lawn stretches out from a broad flight of stone steps. A gravel court runs around the foot of the chateau. Topiary shrubs neatly clipped into rounded shapes or cubes adorn the area in front of the chateau and around it. The pond is surrounded by clusters of rose bushes that bloom in the summer, as well as other flowers. This magnificent garden is easy to maintain. It forms an oasis of greenery where you can enjoy long, pleasant evenings in the spring and summer.

Our opinion

This chateau on the outskirts of Lyon is magnificent. Inspired by 19th-century Italian architecture, the edifice is a masterful blend of styles from France and Italy. The beautiful property is a rare gem of the finest quality. It would be a lasting investment for a large family or firm. Indeed, its many rooms of suitable sizes lend themselves to a wide range of projects for this spacious building. Furthermore, the property is ideally located, near the town centre and close to shops and schools. The nearby motorway is a precious asset too. The architectural majesty here is sumptuous yet subtle. It forms a splendid haven that is truly unique.

10 000 000 €
Fees at the Vendor’s expense


See the fee rates

Reference 834047

Land registry surface area 2 ha 6 a 75 ca
Main building surface area 1400 m2
Number of bedrooms 10

Annual average amount of the proportionate share of expenses 10000 €


French Energy Performance Diagnosis

Consultant

Sophie Batsch +33 1 42 84 80 85

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NB: The above information is not only the result of our visit to the property; it is also based on information provided by the current owner. It is by no means comprehensive or strictly accurate especially where surface areas and construction dates are concerned. We cannot, therefore, be held liable for any misrepresentation.

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