Whilst getting on with my daily life in France, I share with you some tips and tricks that may help you in your Château property hunt, firstly by asking, what exactly is a Château? Is it the architecture that determines if a building is a Chateau or not, or is it something else? Is the the number of turrets and towers, or do they have to be crenelated? Does a Château have to have a moat, or a drawbridge to be a Château? Or does it have to have a certain number of windows and bedrooms? The answer is none of these, and it might surprise you to learn, that what you think a Château is, is in fact not called a Château here at all. In fact, in France, there are many different terms used to describe large old houses, and I will talk you through some of them, because frankly, if "Château" is the only search term you are using in your Château hunt, then you could be missing out on some great bargains, and your perfect home in France.
For example, have you considered the following terms:
Demeure (Mansion)
Domaine (Domain)
Manoir (Manor)
Logis (Loging of a Noble person)
Hôtel Particulier (Large Town House)
Maison de Maitre (Mansion)
Abbaye (Abby)
Monastère (Monastary)
Cloitre (Cloisters)
Couvent (Convent)
Prieuré (Priory)
Longere (Long house)
Écurie (Stables)
Viticole (Wine producing estate)
Moulin (Mill)
Métairie (Farm)
Ferme a cour fermée (Farm with closed courtyard)
Bastide (Maison de Maitre in Provence)
Mas Provencal
Relais de Poste (Post House)
Gentilhommière (Nobleman's Home)
Ferme fortifiée (Fortified Farm)
Are there any more terms that I missed? If you can think of any, or have any questions, please leave them in the comments below.
See also Stéphane's Cognac here: [ Ссылка ]
