Montpezat-de-Quercy, Midi-Pyrénées 82270

Three houses with a swimming pool in a well-preserved 13-hectare haven of greenery, in the heart of the Quercy hills between Cahors and Montauban. Turning off a country road that winds through the valley, the entrance is marked by two white stone pillars. A track runs alongside the orchard and leads to the three buildings on the property. Comprising a barn and two houses dating from the early 19th century, all comprehensively renovated, they stand close to each other. Each dwelling has its own outdoor space, cleverly delineated by elegant lawns surrounded by flamboyant but perfectly controlled gardens. To the right of the former barn is an annexe used as a workshop. As is often the case in the Quercy region, the dwellings and outbuildings are erected in close proximity or only a short distance apart, sometimes separated by courtyards with soft contours. The barn and the main house have been linked so as to form one dwelling. The guest house has remained independent. The three buildings are of white stone, the rectangular openings have wooden frames and green-painted shutters, and the one, two or four-pitched roofs feature monk-and-nun tiles. Large trees and a few bamboos provide shade and freshness around the houses, very much appreciated during the summer months in this southern region. Opposite the entrance, slightly set back from the buildings on the other side, there is a swimming pool. The grounds beyond, made up of meadows and oak woodland forming a lush green oasis, slope gently down to a small stream that forms the boundary of part of the property.