A Provençal Château With Picasso Frescos
This unique 18th century château is built upon a 13th-century fortress foundation. Its iconic style and Doric columns were added by its former owner, Gabriel Joseph de Froment, the Baron de Castille, who nicknamed the home “the chateau with a thousand columns”.
In the 1950s, Château de Castille was purchased by Douglas Cooper, a British art-historian and renowned collector. It is now on the market for the first time in over 50 years.
Cooper possessed one of the greatest 20th century art collections and was known to rub shoulders with artists like Braque, Léger, Klee, de Staël and Pablo Picasso, who frequented the château and tried to purchase it from Cooper.
Cooper had admired Picasso’s drawings engraved in concrete during a trip to Barcelona, and when Picasso visited Château de Castille in 1962, he exclaimed: “Give me a wall!”.
Picasso designed the drawings, which were later engraved by the Norwegian painter and sculptor, Carl Nesiar, a frequent Picasso collaborator. The five floor-to-ceiling frescoes which adorn the terrace walls of the eastern veranda were inspired by David’s “The Rape of the Sabine Women” and “Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe” by Manet.
The pieces, which cannot be removed due to the property’s historic monument status, could be worth millions. In 2020, Pablo Picasso’s painting “Nude, Green Leaves and Bust” set a new price record at auction, and sold for $106.5M in just 8 minutes.
The 20 room chateau offers 8611 square feet of interior space, with several living rooms, a unique dining room, library, 7 bedrooms, and 8 bathrooms. The interiors of the property are by renowned Provencal interior designer, Dick Dumas, with a mix of traditional French fabrics throughout, juxtaposed with modern prints, and featuring both antique furnishings and modern artwork.
The imposing property is accessible through a gorgeous tree-lined drive, and the 4.94 acre property features formal gardens with a central water features and historic garden ornaments, and a park. Additional outbuildings and a staff house complete the estate.
Château de Castille has been classified as a “Historic Monument” by the French State, in addition to the 5 Picasso frescos. A rare opportunity to own a piece of art and history, this property is truly one-of-a-kind.
All photos belong to the listing agency.
