The Story Behind La Ferme de la Boétie

You may be wondering who is behind La Ferme de la Boétie.

The answer is simple: a family deeply in love with the Perche region.

Before welcoming you to our home, we wanted to share a little of our story—and the story of the house that means so much to us.

A Family Connection to the Perche

My name is Charlotte, and a few years before I was born (a date I shall politely keep to myself!), my parents bought a small barn in the Perche, near the village of Thiron-Gardais.

My father dreamed of country life, while my mother had never forgotten the wonderful memories of a summer she had spent in Moutiers-au-Perche with her own parents.

In many ways, our love for the Perche is a family story.

I spent countless weekends and holidays here while growing up. The region became my second home. I fell in love with its rolling hills, sunken lanes, old stone villages and extraordinary skies that seem to change with every season.

By the age of fifteen, I was already imagining turning our tiny family cottage into a charming guesthouse. I had even chosen a name for it: “Charly”.

The desire to welcome people was already there.

A Double Love Story

More than twenty years ago, I fell in love with Fabien.

Fortunately for me, he quickly fell in love with the Perche as well—its landscapes, its heritage and the warmth of its people. Perhaps he liked me a little too!

Over the years, our family grew. We renovated our little countryside house and spent nearly every weekend and holiday there with our two children.

Then came 2020.

Like many families, we suddenly found ourselves spending far more time in the countryside than we ever had before. We were lucky enough to spend almost six months in the Perche, watching spring unfold, summer arrive and autumn colours slowly appear across the hills.

That experience strengthened a dream we had shared for years: finding a larger place where family and friends could gather, celebrate and create memories together.

We began dreaming of a traditional Percheron farmhouse.

And Then, One Morning on Instagram...

One Sunday morning, Fabien woke me up in great excitement.

Anyone who knows me will understand what an achievement that was!

“I've found it,” he said. “I've found our dream house.”

On his phone were photographs of an old farmhouse: limewashed walls, beautiful outbuildings, open countryside and endless possibilities.

It was La Ferme de la Boétie.

Eight days later, we visited.

A few hours after that, we made an offer.

Some decisions take months.

Others feel like an obvious choice from the very first moment.

Falling in Love with an Old Farmhouse

What immediately captivated us was the authenticity of the property.

Built in the eighteenth century, the farmhouse had preserved everything we love about traditional Percheron architecture: its low silhouette, its steep tiled roof, its old lime-rendered walls and its collection of historic outbuildings.

The previous owners had carefully renovated the house, preserving its character while bringing it gently into the twenty-first century.

The former stables, barns, granaries and farm buildings still tell the story of the generations who lived and worked here before us.

From the very first visit, we could already imagine long lunches under the trees, family gatherings, children's games in the garden and evenings spent with friends around a large table.

Creating a Home Away from Home

Once we received the keys, a new adventure began.

We carefully thought through every detail to make sure our guests would feel as comfortable here as we do.

The kitchen equipment, the bedrooms, the games for children, the books on the shelves, the colours on the walls—every choice was made with hospitality in mind.

Our goal was simple: to create a welcoming house that could be enjoyed in every season.

A place where families and friends could come together, slow down and reconnect.

Why “La Boétie”?

The final step was choosing a name.

We chose La Boétie in tribute to the French writers Étienne de La Boétie and Montaigne and their beautiful reflections on friendship.

Their words seemed to perfectly capture the spirit we hoped to create here: a place built around sharing, generosity and meaningful time spent together.

One of the most famous lines of Montaigne speaking about La Boetie remains especially close to our hearts:

> “If you ask me why I loved him, I can only answer: because it was he, because it was I.”

For us, friendship, family and human connection are at the heart of what makes a house truly special.

A House Meant to Be Shared

Today, La Ferme de la Boétie welcomes families and groups of friends who come to discover the Perche for a weekend or a longer stay.

We love seeing children explore the garden, walkers return from the surrounding trails, and long meals stretch into the evening as stories and laughter fill the house.

In many ways, La Ferme de la Boétie has become exactly what we hoped it would be.

A warm and welcoming home.

A place to reconnect with nature, with loved ones and with the simple pleasures of life.

And if our guests leave with a little piece of the Perche in their hearts—and the desire to return one day—then we feel we have succeeded.