stay in mansion houses bed & breakfast in touraine

Why did you settle in this region, in this place and not elsewhere ?

My friend and I were working between Tours and Paris and the Parisian life was becoming restrictive. Our search started in 2009 and we were looking for a house in the region that did not require any work. We were disappointed, however, by changes that had been made to many properties we visited and the charm they had lost because of the restorations. Our search then turned towards a house we could restore ourselves and we found exactly what we were looking for - original features, an attic to convert into bedrooms, large garden with decorative bushes, large outbuildings, quiet and only twenty minutes from Tours. We created three guest rooms, transformed a hectare of landscaped garden and built a 60 m² guesthouse in one of the outbuildings. My passion for interior design went into every room and I put all my soul into making this place magical. For the garden, I approached a parks and gardens organisation in the central region in order to learn more about the art of gardening.

What specific architectural features does your building have ?

The Manoir de Maucartier is a large group of buildings with one hectare of French-style landscaped gardens. Since being built in the 14th century, it has been renovated many times. The square courtyard was divided by door frames and now forms two properties. Three main buildings from the 17th and 19th century remain - a long manor house, a barn and a 60 m2 guesthouse (a building added in the 19th century to store carriages). In the house, one can still see Louis XVI style fireplaces and a girder in the dining room which only the noble properties had, this was because only lords who owned tall forests had access to long bits of wood and the important sections. On the north facade, the window to the right of the entrance shows traces of an elaborate dormer window and a molding in a style that was popular between the 14th and the 16th century. This window indicates that there was once a high room and a second level.

What is its history ?

Originally, the Manoir de Maucartier was a fiefdom and a noble property that was built in the 14th century and rebuilt in the 18th century. Under the Ancien Régime, the fiefdom was a local delegation of central power. In the 16th century, a good half of the seigniories in France were held by commoners who became lords, the nobility having been decimated by the Hundred Years War. In the 17th century, the seigneury of Maucartier in Monnaie belonged to the Renazé family who were commoners. At the time of the Revolution, the seigneury was dismantled and sold to a succession of private owners. In the 20th century, the part we own today was transformed into a farm and important work was done here in 1984. We bought it in 2009 and, after eight years of work, we now welcome guests into our home.

What can you offer people staying with you ?

This house is a way for me to share my interests with our guests. I am passionate about interior design, landscape gardening, cooking and pastry-making and I devote myself to the art of hosting à la française. I am a trained pastry chef and I took my first steps under the watchful eye of a great pastry chef and chocolatier. Making pastry requires a little soul and self-sacrafice, tenderness is a key ingredient and that's what I invite everyone to experience. Breakfast consists of freshly baked cakes. The candlelit dinners are served with fine crockery and silverware. Depending on the season, guests can sit in front of a fire in the dining room. Visitors are welcomed as friends with a touch of simplicity and kindness. My two focus words are tranquility and well-being. With regard to the rooms, they are tastefully and subtly decorated with both classic and contemporary style. A homemade produce shop offers jams, chocolates and biscuits. I also run cooking and pastry workshops that can you can sign up for through my website: www.lemanoirdesgourmands.com