A Norman manse with theatrical élan
YAINVILLE, France: When an English gentleman built a half- timbered Anglo-Norman style country house here in the late 19th century and christened it “The Oaks,” he was assured of the propertys absolute privacy by the almost 20 hectares of woodland that surrounded it.
Today, the manor still is dramatically sited on a cliff overlooking the Seine as it loops its way inland from the coast.
Civilization has crept closer Д Rouen is just to the west. But much of the areas country charm is unchanged, and a small car ferry that makes the five-minute river crossing at the near-by town of Jumiиges sets the bucolic mood.
Enveloped in greenery (the property extends down to the waters edge), the eight-bedroom house is invisible from the road, and there are unspoiled river views from most of the principal rooms.
If the architecture was exceptional from the start, subsequent owners endowed the three- level, 800-square-meter, or 8,600-square-foot, country manse with an extra dose of theatrical йlan.
Foremost was Sacha Guitry, a French stage legend famed for his sophisticated Parisian comedies, who was immensely popular as author, actor and director of more than 120 plays. At only 26, flush with the triumphs of two early stage hits, he bought the manor for his wife, the actress Charlotte Lysиs, in 1911. They immediately changed its name to Manoir Les Zaoques, after the play that helped to make the purchase possible.
After a two-year renovation and additions that included a thatched outdoor terrace with open fireplace, one house for his chauffeur and another for the gardener, the couple took up residence in the summer of 1913.
With the same exuberance and wit of their theatrical productions, the Guitrys entertained on a princely scale: Menus featured whole lobsters; Champagne flowed. After-dinner amusements featured dramatic improvisations against the backdrop of the Grand Salon, with its soaring six-meter, or 20-foot, ceilings, a trompe loeil gallery above a bookcase and an oversize fireplace of painted brick and oak. At the top of a flight of stairs, an interior window offers a dizzying view into the room and its monumental wrought iron chandelier.
Off the main room are a large paneled billiard room, a small bar and a card room leading to the covered terrace.
There are two guest bedrooms on the first floor; two guest/childrens bedrooms and bath are linked by a gallery to the master suite, which has a black porcelain bath, walk-in dressing room and balcony on the second floor.
Two separate staircases lead to the third floor. One, from the master suites wing, ends at a bed/sitting room. The second set of stairs leads to a self-contained apartment with two bedrooms, a bath, a small kitchen and a large sitting room where a gilt wood and marble fireplace in the form of a small stage vies for attention with panoramic views of the river and countryside.
Guitry was renowned for his mordant wit and trenchant bons mots. (”Marriage is like an accident, you need witnesses,” he wrote, and “I am in favor of preserving the French habit of kissing ladies hands Д after all, one must start somewhere.”)
His rиglement а lusage des invitйs, or house guest rules, contained such sentiments as: “Notice to collectors, the little spoon in your room is not silver” and “Alas, all joys are limited! When the awful hour of departure has sounded….dont dawdle, say only: Im off! and you will see that we will be as courageous as you.” Posted in all the guest rooms in Guitrys time, the framed list now hangs in every bedroom along with photos of the playwright in his prime.
The Impressionist painter Claude Monet, who lived farther along the Seine at Giverny, was a frequent guest and sometimes stayed for weeks at a time. When the Guitrys planned their garden Д painterly flowers for Sacha, perfumed blooms for Charlotte Д the plantings followed Monets advice.
Today, the dining room is decorated in Givernyesque tones of yellow with open shelves of faience plates and a colorful Murano-style chandelier. A set of rustic wooden chairs said to have been painted by the artist is in an attic storeroom, but will not be included in the sale of the furnishings.
Along with the festive weekends, the property served as a retreat to stimulate inspiration. The author loved to film his friends, and in 1915 he made his first silent movie short, the beginning of a second career as a filmmaker. As prolific as he was witty, he produced about a dozen plays during the four years that he vacationed at Les Zoaques. One of the last was a 1916 revue that starred Yvonne Printemps, soon to be his second wife Д a marriage that was the end of idyllic Normandy summers. (He went on to marry three more actresses.)