La Closerie de Courances

At the Domaine de Courances, the park, the château, the foulerie, and the surrounding wall are all listed as Historic Monuments. Although the other structures on the estate are not listed, they are largely subject to the regulations governing Historic Monuments if a construction campaign is launched. In the case of the renovation of the Hamlet, the Architect of the French Buildings rightly insisted that all the buildings maintain the rural character of their original function. The restoration project lasted eighteen months and involved a small team of about ten people. Manolo, the head gardener, knows Courances like the back of his hand and gradually took on the role of site manager, coordinating the artisans: a plumber, an electrician, and a carpenter who crafted the doors, shutters, and stairs, along with a few masons and four others who usually work on the maintenance of the Courances park.

Due to the proximity of the buildings to water, the most significant challenge of the project was to secure the foundations; they had to be reinforced and protected from the water’s effects. This foundational work notably required moving…the Pump. One can easily imagine the difficulty of relocating such an imposing system. As for the cobblestone courtyard, which was in very poor condition, it was entirely redone, laid in the traditional manner on a slightly lime-treated sand bed. Following the damage that occurred during World War II, some parts of the ensemble had been repaired with concrete in the 1970s and 80s.