Poitou Charentes Farmhouses

Like in many other French regions, Poitou Charentes' traditional farmhouses are often made of wood and stone. Agriculture was important in the Poitou Charentes economy, thus many cheap farmhouses can be found in diverse areas of this calm and authentic region.

Poitou Charentes farmhouses were foremost built as farm dwellings, and then often converted into homes. These farmhouses generally have a courtyard and many outbuildings like barns, stables, or cowshed.

The outbuildings show their former agricultural use in years gone by. These houses are often lengthwise properties rarely having a closed courtyard, except in rural areas like the South of the Deux-Sevres department; where farmyards had to be closed to prevent animals from escaping.

Sometimes a cellar and wine warehouse come with the house. The red tiled roofs are often gently sloping due to the coastal climate.

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• Summary of Poitou Charentes Architecture