Old medieval silk farm in Drôme

Nestled on a hill with magnifient views across the Drôme valley, in the medieval hamlet of Suze, this stone home was renovated to maintain its rustic charm. Enjoy the true calm either walking in the forest, swimming in the pool or relaxing in the garden. Please note: 1) The terraces may be a risk for young children. 2) A housekeeper comes 3 times 2 hours every week Our house was built in the 15th Century. It was renovated to bring modern comfort, but we kept the authenticity of the old stones, vaults, and soul. Large walls keep the rooms cool in summer. The house as well as the swimming pool are orientated to enjoy fully the views on the Drôme valley. In summer you will enjoy our large covered terrasse with its lounge, bar and dining area. Each of the 5 bedrooms has got a private bathroom (en-suite for 3 of them) First building of the village, at the foot of the ramparts, some rooms were used in the Middle Ages by the guards who protected the castle, others as barns. We know that a shoemaker made shoes there and that at one time several families of agricultural workers were housed there (one family per room). The vault which crosses the house from the street to the garden was open on each side so that the wagons can shelter themselves from the rain to discharge the hay. Finally, in the main bedroom you can still see the corner fireplace used to keep a constant temperature in order to raise the silkworms coming from the numerous mulberry trees of the area. This is where the name of our house comes from (a Magnanerie being a silkworm farm).The house is full of numerous books, trinkets, paintings, photos, eclectic furniture, either inherited from our family with multiple geographical origins (North, Correze, Gard, Alsace ...) or brought by Fabrice from South Africa where he has been living since 1996. The whole house is yours for the duration of your stay On the first foothills of the Alps, between Provence and Vercors, the Drôme valley has experienced tragic moments, be it the armed struggles between petty suzerains to conquer neighboring lands, exterminations by plague, wars of religions, or closer to us, the episodes of the Resistance during the Second World War. The old village where you are located is the historical village of Suze which surrounded the castle (now in ruins) until the last century, when the hamlet of Les Jaux, located below, became more important than the old village, because it was closer to the cultivable land and it was decided to build the new church there. The old village was gradually deserted for the new village of Suze and the houses began to deteriorate until the 1970s when some families saw in these ruined old stones the possibility of rebuilding wonderful second homes. In the last twenty years, the old village has been repopulated, with a few houses once again inhabited by retired people but also active people who have fallen in love with our village. The closest railway stations are Valence Ville (42 km) and Valence TGV (49km)- with trains for Paris, Lyon, Marseilles, Lille, Bruxelles, Strasbourg, Barcelone... The closest Airport is Lyon St Exupéry (157 km). You will need a vehicle during your stay at our house as the closest town to shop, Crest, is 13km away. Hiking trails, taking you to unspoiled nature and hills, start from our hamlet! The area offers many cultural and touristic activities: walks, hikes, biking, canoeing, swimming in rivers, tree climbing, village markets, old towns to visit, galeries, music festivals, bistros and restaurants, wine tasting...