Knight Frank Property For Sale in Gascony
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Gascony, essentially the department of the Gers, is located south of the Garonne and north of the central Pyrenees. The river Gers which gives the department its name runs north to south. Largely agricultural, the Gers is one of the least densely populated departments in France. There are no autoroutes or heavy industry and the area can claim some of the lowest pollution and cleanest air in Europe.
Located within two hours of the Atlantic Coast and three hours from the Mediterranean, skiing in the Pyrenees is also within easy reach.
The scenery is of rolling wooded hills and valleys, always with long views south to the Pyrénées. Nurtured by the warm southern sun, the land is rich and fertile, with fields of corn & sunflowers, vineyards, old cattle pasture and farmyards with ducks and geese.
The skyline of the Gers is studded with villages of medieval origin, some classed as bastides (new towns built to a grid pattern), sauveterres (small communities established by the Church offering protection in return for some form of service) and castelnaux (built around a fortress or castle, and usually on a hill or rocky outcrop).
The climate is generally warm, and winters mild and short, snowfall being extremely rare. Frosts are infrequent and at Christmas it may be mild enough to eat out on the terrace. Summers can be hot with occasional short – but dramatic - thunderstorms. Generally sufficient rainfall throughout the year to keep the countryside green. An Indian summer runs into late autumn, giving outdoor living for around eight months of the year.
There is a myriad of classical and popular music festivals, from national orchestras to world famous jazz musicians, as well as theatre, opera and ballet at Toulouse, Pau, Tarbes and Bordeaux.
Alexander Dumas’s fable of the Three Musketeers was inspired by the real D’Artagnan, born Charles de Batz, whose statue stands on the monumental staircase below the famous cathedral in Auch.
Gascons have the longest life expectancy in France, the French paradox at its most extreme as Gascony is a major producer of Foie Gras and Armagnac as well as many popular red and white wines including Madiran and Saint Mont.
The area’s traditional handsome farmhouses adapt readily to holiday or permanent homes. Maisons de Maitre, manoirs and small chateaux offer refined living within an historic setting. The eighteenth century was a period of great expansion with a pleasing vernacular architecture with Italianate and classical influences. Building materials include honey-coloured stone, clay brick and half-timbering in oak, invariably capped with terra cotta roof tiles. Restoration projects still exist but are now harder to find than they used to be.
There is an established and growing international market with most European nationalities represented.
Airports are with BA and Easyjet at Toulouse from Gatwick, and with RyanAir to Pau & Biarritz from Stansted. The A62 motorway (Autoroute de Deux Mers) links both north and south. The TGV runs from Paris, with the closest stations being Tarbes and Agen.
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