The Domaine du Vignau

Our property at Le Vignau is made up of several character houses from the early 18th century, freshly renovated and equipped to a high standard. Everything has been thought out for your comfort. The estate is nestled in a green setting and nature is omnipresent.

We will be delighted to share with you the pleasure of living in exceptional buildings that we have taken great pleasure in renovating.

The central position of Le Vignau in France, in the heart of the Limousin, as well as its accessibility are undeniable assets: We are 20 minutes from Limoges by car and 15 minutes from the Paris-Toulouse axis (A20). You can even reach La Jonchère Saint Maurice by train: 3h30 from Paris to arrive at the foot of the estate!

Ideal for friends and families coming from all over France or from abroad and wishing to spend a pleasant moment. Ideal also for companies looking for an atypical place, in the heart of nature and yet easily accessible.

Discover Domaine du Vignau

Located in the heart of the Limousin region in the Monts d’Ambazac, a magnificent region where activities are numerous: heritage discovery, hiking, mountain biking, water sports, motocross, horseback riding, paragliding … Our domain is at the foot of the hiking trails, which will allow you to discover the Monts d’Ambazac and the beautiful nature of the Limousin. It is also close to a bike park renowned for the quality of its downhill tracks.

The centre of the village and its shops are within walking distance (400m) along our beautiful private driveway, lined with ancient trees. To go and get your bread in the morning in such conditions is pure happiness!

Un week-end ou une semaine sans voiture, au Vignau, c’est possible ! Et si elle est électrique, vous pourrez la recharger à l’une des deux bornes dont nous sommes équipés.

A weekend or a week without a car at Le Vignau is possible! And if it’s an electric car, you can recharge it at one of the two charging points we have.

Le Vignau in relaxation mode has two heated and secure swimming pools, a SPA, relaxation areas (table football, ping-pong tables), greenery and the village a few hundred metres away on foot.

A bit of history

From castle to manor house over the centuries

The current manor house on the Vignau estate replaced an old manor house that had been the subject of various additions over the centuries. It was a group of buildings that were gradually modified and extended, joined by towers and surrounded by high walls. These towers contained staircases leading to the upper floors.

In 1360, the chapel of Le Vignaud existed within a castle which is described as a fortified castle with towers and a fortified enclosure. In 1620, the property belonged to the Peyrière family, a very old family of magistrates from Limoges, who had the towers and fortified walls demolished. In 1772, the property was bequeathed to Guillaume De Léobardy, a former musketeer of the royal guard and treasurer of France in the Limoges region.

Destroyed at the end of the 18th century, during the dark hours of the 1789 Revolution, Joseph de Léobardy rebuilt the house a few years later, but a hundred metres higher up from the original location of the château. Many elements of the old house were reused. At that time it was always the intention to re-use materials from the building that was to be replaced. Many of the stones that were part of the old house were indeed reused. They can be seen everywhere. The present stoop is the most visible of these reuses.

The present Vignau was built like all the maisons de maître or mas in the Pays d’oc in the 18th century. That is to say, in Limousin, Quercy, Rouergue, Languedoc and Provence. Its façade faces south. Le Vignau has its back to the north, and to the mountain. It is built on a hillside. It was therefore necessary to preserve the inhabited parts from humidity. This is why the ground floor is occupied by the cellars. The house is warm because of its southern orientation and the wings that protect it from the wind. The ceilings are filled with heather, and the walls are thick. The floors are made of large oak beams fixed to the beams with strong forged nails. The attic is huge and can be ventilated at will through windows.

Le Vignau and the Limousin cattle breed: a whole history!

L’orangerie du domaine

This building was built around 1890 and was originally intended to be a dwelling house. Built in a somewhat Anglo-Saxon style, it was instead transformed into a granary, which became its primary function. A dovecote was installed on the top floor. On the ground floor there is a greenhouse where the plants flourish and are bathed in a dense light that filters through the superb bay window. The wrought ironwork that adorns the bay window gives it a style and cachet of the highest order. Later on, the lemon and orange trees of the Domaine will spend the winter there, giving the building the name of the Domaine du Vignau orangery.

There is a 16th century nativity which was inserted into one of the walls of the orangery by Charles de Léobardy. This nativity comes from an ancient chapel. It was located in a corner of the courtyard of the old Vignau under the title of Bonne Arnaude. It was a small simple benefit under the patronage of the lords of Vignau.