Today, Niort is a finance centre, home to France’s major mutual insurance companies, but the historic port town also boasts some of the country’s best-preserved architecture, spanning the medieval period to the 19th century, like this unique townhouse in the Saint-André neighbourhood.

Just a stone’s throw from the shopping strip, the four-storey French property has been sympathetically modernised while retaining its period features, such as an imposing Empire-style fireplace in the ground-floor living room, built in grey stone with lion legs. (Its twin is installed in the home of the Niortais architect Bernard d’Agesci.)

A weathered stone staircase connects each level of the house, and a glass-roofed garden room is at the rear. The stone-walled kitchen overlooks the garden, while a second living room is on the first floor, with bedrooms and an office above.

One of the more inspiring spaces is the gallery, crowned by a glass and timber barrel-vaulted roof with a neo-gothic stone balustrade.

Espaces Atypiques is listing the home for €548,500, saying it requires some ‘work’ and renovation. The 450 m2 townhouse could also be split into three parts for rental, with a potential yield of around €1,400 pcm.

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