Sologne Architecture

Sologne is a former province of France that comprises of many forests and lakes, located between the cities of Blois, Orléans and Vierzon. Its – mainly terra cotta – architecture is spectacular and very beautiful.

Many Sologne houses mix an half-timbering structure with walls made of bricks or tuff, a white calcareous stone (in French: tuffeau) that gives a gorgeous aspect to the house.

As is quite common with half-timbered French properties, the lower part of the wall is made of bricks, with the upper part only being half-timbered. Between the timber frames, cob and bricks are inserted. Roofs often have a brown colour given by the flat tiles. The first floor is narrower than the ground floor due to the roof being steeply pitched.

Sologne houses come in different sizes, some being very modest, some coming with multiple bedrooms and a large piece of land. The bread oven has unfortunately not always been retained. Outside the house, the timber frames are made of wood, as well as the shutters.

Inside the house, rooms are seldom large, and the wood is everywhere, on the walls, on beams and around the doors. Windows are of large dimensions but have small window panes.

Some Sologne houses have a more prestigious demeanour and in this case often have a more vertical and square layout .

Once again, many chimneys appear on the rooves of these Sologne properties.

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• Summary of Traditional Properties in the Centre Region