Montclar-sur-Gervanne, Rhône 26400

In the Die area of the Drme, a medieval castle extravagantly extended in the 16th and 17th centuries, listed as a historical monument, with outbuildings, a cold room, pond and 7 hectares of grounds. The first castle, near to Die, was built in the 12th century to protect the valley from French incursions into what was the independent principality of the Dauphin at the time, before this territory was sold to France by the treaty of Romans in 1349.Further castle buildings were erected in the 15th and 16th centuries to form a feudal defensive edifice, based around a 13th-century keep. It is quadrilateral in shape, flanked by four towers, and surrounds a vast, square, main courtyard. From the 16th century to the French Revolution, the building belonged to the Grammont family, originally from Navarre, and then the Labretonnire family until 1948. Under the Grammont ownership, it was gradually transformed into a home boasting all the comfort typical of the 17th century.It was then well maintained by the various following occupants, who set about furnishing the vast dwelling with antique furniture in order to restore the spirit of its beginnings.The building has retained some pre-16th century elements, such as the bakehouse, the southwest tower with its vertical arrow slit windows, the north tower and its machicolations, the monumental staircase, the 17th-century windows and decorated ceilings. The various wings have been fully restored, in keeping with modern standards and according to the possibilities allowed by the regional directorate of cultural affairs. The roof, faades and heating system have been entirely renovated.Among the estate's distinctive features are parts full of history, such as the kitchens, bakehouse, archbishop's quarters and chapel, as well as the carefully maintained grounds, pond and cold room.