Le Prieuré

Le Prieuré is a charming bed and breakfast snuggling up to a beautiful church in the small village of Dissay sous Courcillon. Amazingly, both the church and the priory date all the way back to 1180. Additions were made to the priory in the Renaissance era but it retains many of its 12th-century features and exudes great charm. It took years to make Le Prieuré the jewel you see today, though luckily all the basic ingredients were already in place: a stone house abounding with character, a beautiful church next door, a large enclosed garden, mature shade trees, and even fish ponds in the back. Marie-France is very talented and has decorated the house in great taste. She and Christophe already owned many fine family paintings and gorgeous heirloom furniture to use in the rooms, giving the house the feeling of a private home. The 12th-century guest lounge with its stone walls and massive arched stone ceiling is architecturally stunning. This is where breakfast is served, although when the weather is balmy, most guests prefer to eat outside in the garden. There are three extremely spacious, attractively decorated bedrooms, all overlooking the pretty back garden. My favorite is the pink room, which is especially lovely with appealing fabrics and antique furniture that create a charming country ambiance.