mansion houses for sale - meuse - centre of verdun

This mansion house stands in a square known as the Place-de-la-Libération, facing the monument commemorating victory and the soldiers of Verdun, next to the Princerie Museum.
It is known as the “house of Pope Julius II”. Tradition, in fact, recounts that it was lived in by the future Pope Julius II around 1479.
The current mansion house is not the one that Cardinal-della-Rovere stayed in as its construction or redesigning was carried out at a later date as is proved by the engraving on the inner courtyard tower “ANNO M-CCCCC-XXXIII” (year 1533). Nevertheless “IVL II PONT MAX” engraved on the entrance porch pediment acts as a reminder that the pontiff, who died 20 years earlier, had stayed in this place.

The mansion house

This impressive U-shaped, 3-storey building, with its inner courtyard and little side garden, is constructed from dressed stone, half of which is rendered, and topped with an interlocking tile roof.
The facades are interesting to look at as the openings have lost their mullions and one of the gable walls has a surprising window topped with two trilobal openings.
But the feature that takes pride of place, courtesy of its elegance, is without doubt the outstanding finely wrought porch way with its ringed columns, its scallop shells and its triangular pediment bearing the engraving, telling of the visit of the future Pope Julius II. The centre of said pediment has been hammered, probably the result of trying to remove the coat-of-arms at the time of the French Revolution. It is also flanked by chimera, one of which is very badly damaged.
A portico in the courtyard is supported on four columns with an unusual polygonal base. The facades are classified on the French supplementary historic monument list.

Ground floor
The house is entered via the central porch way which leads to the inner courtyard with its large flagstones.
On the right-hand side are three rooms with oak wood flooring, one of which has a marble fireplace and a wash-hand basin, a small outbuilding with a toilet and a door leading to the little side garden.
On the left-hand side are a first room with an 18th century alcove, a second room with a door leading to a vaulted cellar as well as two other rooms, one of which is a kitchen with a fireplace and stone floor tiles.

First floor
A winding, oak wood stairway in the tower provides access to the first floor. This level comprises six large rooms, with 3.52 m high ceilings. Intercommunicating with one another, they are laid out in an L-shape around the landing. Almost all have a marble fireplace and oak wood flooring. This level is completed with a kitchen and a pantry with a back stairway leading to all three levels.
Second floor
This large attic, featuring exposed beams, was most certainly once used by domestic staff. There is still a spectacular Renaissance style fireplace.