Marciac Property Insight

Marciac, is a typical Gersois village, where authenticity of culture and breathtaking landscapes combine perfectly to the greatest delight of its visitors. However, the area has more on offer that its precious Gascony culture. Marciac is renowned in the entire world for its Jazz Festival that takes place every summer and attracts thousands and thousands of visitors, not to mention all the best Jazz musicians in the world.

Overview

Marciac is called a royal bastide, as the village was created in 1298, just after the annexation of the area to the French Kingdom. Features of the bastide match the Gascony standard, which is to say a bastide with a regular plan. The royal bastide is 600 metre long and 400 metre large, and its bastide square, with 130/75 metre is the biggest one of the whole Midi Pyrenees region.

Life in Marciac has been organised all around the big square. This is where you will find the main shops and cafes, and where all the community life takes place. Not to mention that the square is crowded during the Jazz Festival.

Marciac Immobilier & Property Market Trends

Property prices in the Gers department are almost half the price of the national average (€3,200/ sq m). Marciac, with €1,600/sq m in July 2009 is not an exception. The trend in the Gers department is not quite clear cut. For instance in Marciac prices decreased from early 2009 until March 2009, then they increased until reaching €1,700/sq m in May 2009 and then they have been decreasing since this day. Obviously summer time is not the best period to assess a market trend, as in summer all the economy seems to slow down (except from tourism of course).

To get updated info about the property prices in Gers, please browse our French Property Market Reports published in the News Section every month.

4 Reasons to Buy a Property in Marciac

• ’Jazz in Marciac’: in Marciac it is all jazz. Started 30 years ago by a group of friends, Jazz in Marciac has become one of the Europe's major festivals. Every summer in the first two weeks of August, around 200,000 spectators come to cheer along the stars of jazz. Diana Krall, Bireli Lagrene, Sonny Rollins are just some of the exceptional artists who made Marciac a home base. In the village square, the setting for the festival Bis, you will have a chance to discover some of today's best musicians for free.

• Lifestyle: every thing in Marciac is inspired by jazz. In 1993 a new option in the college was opened to pupils. It is called initiation to the jazz music, and it is totally free, as well as the display of musical instuments for the pupils. Students are taught six hours weekly and some classes are done by prestigious jazz musicians. The Jazz festival is the opportunity for these young jazz musicians to express themselves in front of a public.

• Architectural heritage: Marciac architectural heritage is representative of both its prestigious past and its Gascony identity. Notre Dame de l’Assomption is a perfect mix between a Gothic style church with a Roman tradition. Its bell tower is the highest of the department. The Chapelle Notre Dame de la Croix stands out both for its architecture and is history (it is said that during the 17th century, while the whole Gascony was suffering from the black death, a young farm woman saw the Virgen Marie who told her to build a chapel to end the plague. The Farm woman listened to her and the plague disappeared). Other interesting monuments include the Dominicans and the Augustinians convent, as well as the abbots’ and King’s houses. Finally the bullring is used for the traditional Course landaise and also welcomes concerts during the Jazz festival.

• Great Midi Pyrenees tourist area: Marciac is one of the 21 great Midi Pyrenees tourist areas. These places of interest have been chosen according to the natural, cultural or historical heritage they have on offer, and also according to the touristic facilities they can provide. Marciac has been chosen for its Jazz festival along with the architectural heritage it has managed to preserve and emphasize. The Gascony town has also developed more touristic attractions, such as a 30 hectare lake created in 1963, and only 500 metre from the town centre where there are many sport and water activities on offer. There is a lovely footpath that connects the lake to the town centre. Visitors have also the possibility to go to the aqualudique swimming pool (a water leisure centre). Finally, the town has built the Café Zik, which is both a restaurant where you can taste all the local gastronomy, and a concert venue.

Property Styles and Architecture in Marciac

• Farmhouses: most of farmhouses on the market have been beautifully renovated and are prestigious properties. However, you may be able to find some houses in need of renovations. In that case prices will be obviously lower, and will be able to sell it afterwards twice the original price. Farmhouses are usually half-timbered properties in Gascony, and outbuildings are usually made in stone. Owing to the outbuildings you will able to have both a second home and a gite, if you fancy it.

• Character houses: there are many prestigious houses in the Gers department, and Marciac is not an exception. These houses usually are to be found outside the town, in the hilly countryside, which enables them to have breathtaking view over the countryside and the Pyrenees range. These properties are huge houses, with at least 5 bedrooms, a big French kitchen with a fireplace, a living room and 2 or 3 bathrooms. Moreover they usually come with a swimming pool and a huge piece of land.

Click here for more info about the Architecture in Gers.