18th Century Chateau North of Paris
Nestled in the countryside of Chantilly, the spectacular property boasts an incredible location just 27 km north of Paris and 18 minutes from CDG.
Nestled in the countryside of Chantilly, the spectacular property boasts an incredible location just 27 km north of Paris and 18 minutes from CDG.
The French chateau is tucked away on the 33.3 acre estate, accessible via a grand gate of honor and set back behind French gardens.
Inside the French chateau, grandeur abounds with high ceilings, and grand light-filled spaces, with fantastic period detail throughout.
The 25 room property offers 15 bedrooms across the chateau, and there is also a caretaker's house and additional annexes located at the gates to the estate.
An incredible project, this dreamy French chateau is on the brink of the next chapter in its history.
All photos belong to the listing agency.
Luxury Villa Rental in Les Parcs De St Tropez
Set within 271 acres of gated luxury, the 6-bedroom property boasts one of the most iconic addresses on the French Riviera.
Set within 271 acres of gated luxury, the property boasts one of the most iconic addresses in the south of France.
There are over 100 villas within Les Parcs de St Tropez, a prestigious enclave with residents like Bernard Arnaud, the CEO of LVMH, Jean-Michel Signoles, the owner of Goyard, and Francis Holder, founder of the Paul bakeries, among others.
The gated community was created by visionary sailor Robert Geffroy, whose boat broke down in the port of St Tropez in 1951. Forced to spend the winter, he built a house on some land by the water and began to envision an idyllic community on the Cote d’Azur.
Back then, St Tropez was still just a fishing village on the come up to becoming ‘the’ seaside resort on the French Riviera by the 60s, a reputation which continues with today’s jet set.
The luxury villa rental is nestled within 0.8 acres of landscaped gardens with a pétanque ground, and a 65-foot swimming pool with pool house.
The contemporary villa is the perfect base for exploring the Cote d’Azur with friends or family, offering spacious living areas which open out onto terraces with pocket glass doors.
The villa sleeps up to 12 in 6 bedrooms, with incredible amenities like a screening room, wine cellar, and a billiards room.
The property also has an incredible wellness centre with a gym, sauna, hammam, and massage room.
All photos belong to the listing agency.
A Muse, Mistress, and Patron of the Arts: The Story Behind Château de Menars
It’s any billionaire’s dream pad, but there is more to the story behind one of the few privately-owned châteaux in Loire Valley.
This property is listed for €15,750,000 by Val de Loire Sologne Sotheby's International Realty.
It’s any billionaire’s dream pad, but there is more to the story behind one of the few privately-owned châteaux in Loire Valley.
Château de Menars belonged to Edmond Baysari, a Lebanese-born, Monaco-based property developer with a passion for art, architecture, and history. Well into his 80s and without apparent heirs, the UNESCO-listed property was put on the market in 2017. Baysari passed away in 2018.
The price tag is a fraction of the €100M to restore it over 30 years, and he had hoped the property stays intact. It is rumoured he has turned down 9-figure deals from Russian Oligarchs and Middle Eastern billionaires.
Château de Menars, (Starus via Wikimedia Commons)
The annual upkeep of the 50-bedroom château is roughly €400K. This includes the maintenance of lavish geometric gardens designed by famed landscape architect Le Nôtre, the principal gardener of King Louis XIV of France who also designed the gardens are Versailles.
The property boasts the longest avenue of century-old lime trees in Europe, stretching 4 km long. The terraces extend to the banks of the Loire, dotted with 18th century statues of Roman emperors. Vineyards on the property yield pinot noir and there is a 30,000 bottle wine cellar.
Baysari referred to his 130,000 square foot, 104-acre estate as "Palace Pompadour", after his muse.
The 30-year restoration project is a labour of love. "Very early I came across this woman in my readings, and I was immediately passionate about her," said Baysari, recalling when he first heard of Madame de Pompadour as a young child.
Château de Menars once belonged to Madame de Pompadour, the maîtresse-en-titre (Royal Mistress) of King Louis XV, a true Renaissance woman whose influence on art, style, and politics changed the world.
Detail from Madame de Pompadour, 1756, by François Boucher, Wikipedia
How can Madame de Pompadour be a ‘Renaissance woman’ when she was born in 1721? The term ‘Renaissance woman' (or man) was originally used to describe the qualities of a polymath from the Renaissance period.
A basic tenant of Renaissance humanism is that humans are limitless in their capacity for development. Leonardo da Vinci has often been described as the archetype of the Renaissance man, a man of "unquenchable curiosity" and "feverishly inventive imagination".
The term was first recorded in the early 20th century to refer to the qualities of Renaissance polymaths, although today it is commonly used to describe someone who has broad intellectual interests and is good at many things.
Baysari's lawyer, Jack Anderson, reportedly said "She was a Renaissance woman, and he was a Renaissance man”, when explaining Baysari’s fascination with Pompadour.
Born Jean Antoinette Poisson in 1721 to a promiscuous mother and a penniless father who fled the country to escape his debts, she was just four years old when she came under the legal guardianship of Jean Pâris de Montmartel. A wealthy tax collector who paid for her education, he was rumoured to be her biological father.
At the age of nine, her mother took her to a fortune teller who predicted she would “one day reign over the heart of the King”. Her destiny was sealed: from that time she was called “Reinette”, meaning "little queen". Her family set out to groom Jean Antoinette to become the mistress of Louis XV, and she was educated in dancing, drawing, painting, engraving, theatre, the arts, and attained the ability to memorize entire plays.
Even her marriage at 19 to her guardian’s nephew, Charles-Guillaume Le Normant d’Étiolles, did little to prevent her from fulfilling her destiny. Shortly after they wed, Jeanne-Antoinette and her husband acquired a château in Senart near Louis XV’s hunting lodge, where she would ride horseback on the King’s hunt days hoping to catch his eye.
In 1745, she received an invitation to a lavish masquerade at Versailles in celebration of the marriage of the Dauphin of France and Maria Theresa, Infanta of Spain.
Winners of Best Costume? Six gargantuan turbaned Turks are seen in this 1764 etching of the Yew Tree Ball in 1745, celebrating the marriage of Louis XV's son, Dauphin of France, and Maria Theresa, Infanta of Spain. Charles Nicolas Cochin, (The Met Museum)
Held in the Hall of Mirrors, there were 1,500 in attendance. Many were costumed in elaborate Turkish and Chinese costumes, reflecting the exoticism that was vogue in 1740s Paris. Jeanne-Antoinette arrived dressed as Diana, the Roman goddess of the hunt.
Louis XV, dressed as a topiary yew tree along with several servants alongside him, dramatically unmasked himself and finally declared his reciprocated feelings for her that night. That event came to be known as the Yew Tree Ball because of the King’s costume.
Within a month, she had abandoned her husband and daughter for the King. Given the title of the Marquise de Pompadour, she moved into a private apartment in the palace, with a private circular staircase giving her direct passage to the Kings chambers.
Madame Pompadour, by Francois Boucher (Wikimedia Commons)
The passionate nature of their relationship was no secret in court. The King allegedly moulded the traditional French champagne glass into the shape of one of her breasts; he also commissioned a diamond cut in the shape of her lips. The first of its kind, the cut became known as the Marquis cut, although it is also known as the “navette”.
Designed in the shape of the Marquise of Pompadours lips, the Marquis diamond cut, is also known as the navette cut.
After four years at court, Pompadour would even be elevated to lady-in-waiting to the Queen, the most noble rank possible for a woman at court. Madame de Pompadour got along so well with Queen Marie, that she allegedly remarked "If there must be a mistress, better her than any other."
Ultimately, she would became his trusted advisor, but she grew her influence over the king as a friend who enriched his life with gaiety and lightness. Before their relationship, the King’s main pastime was hunting. She would never tire of entertaining the easily bored royal, often writing and acting in plays for the King to uniquely showcase her wit and charm.
She expanded his worldview with books, art, and culture with her collections of object d’art: a “myriad of paintings, sculptures, and chinoiseries that Pompadour patronzized, commissioned, and collected” (It is said that the sale of her effects after her death lasted for more than a year.)
King Louis XV, Portrait by Maurice-Quentin de La Tour, 1748
Pompadour’s position in court was highly sexualized and highly politicized in a time when courtiers were openly vying for power and influence with Louis XV. The Marechale I de Mirepoix used to say to Madame de la Pompadour “It isn’t you he loves, it’s your staircase”, but their relationship was much more than just physical.
According to Columbia University art historian Susan Wager, "She was mediating between members of the court and the king. They would say 'I want to say this to the king.' And she'd say, 'No, wait, let me tell him. Let me translate it into my own words and I'll come back to you.' She was, in all sorts of ways, manipulating this idea of the staircase — of the passage — in an artistic, in an intellectual and in a political way.”
She is said to have declared unapologetically, "I am stubborn in the service of the King and I won't hold back in anything”, and “effectively played the role of prime minister, becoming responsible for appointing advancements, favours, and dismissals, and contributing in domestic and foreign politics”.
When the relationship changed in 1750 (diaries and letter report that Pompadour switched floors in Versailles), Wagner states "What's really remarkable is that she still remained at court in the position of official mistress for the rest of her life even though there was no longer a sexual relationship".
As the King’s mistress, Pompadour was no stranger to controversy. As a contemporary and friend of Voltaire, a thought leader of the Enlightenment, she was also outspoken about her beliefs as a champion of free thought.
She openly opposed the Catholic Church by supporting the creation of the French Encyclopedia, which discussed ideas of the Scientific Revolution. She made waves in political circles, ultimately influencing the King to break a Peace Treaty with Prussia and she was ultimately blamed for the brutal defeat in the following Seven Years War.
Pompadour’s influence on French society and culture was vast-reaching, and she is often credited with making Paris the capital of taste and culture in Europe. Her love of porcelain led to Louis XV purchasing a porcelain factory in Sèvres in 1759, giving her influence on styles and designs of Sèvres Porcelain. The Chief chemist of Sèvres, Jean Hellot, was enlisted to create the most beautiful pink color ever seen, a shade named “Rose Pompadour”.
She helped bring on the European Rococo movement with her influence of the Rocaille style used liberally in the decorative arts. The light-hearted, French Rococo style she championed became known as the Louis XV style. She would decorate and often redecorate the 15 residences she had with the King, and was known for being a patron of both Rococo artists and the greatest royal patron of portraiture. She commissioned many portraits from leading artists of the day, and was often involved in the composition and direction of the paintings, which was unusual for patrons in this time.
Madame de Pompadour by François Boucher, 1758.
In architecture, she sealed her influence when she elevated her brother Abel Poisson to the title of the Marquis de Marigny and gave him a new position as General Directeur des Batiments. An official government role, he worked alongside Madame de Pompadour and King Louis XV to plan and build several important French monuments and buildings, such as the École Militaire and the Place Louis XV – today the Place de la Concorde.
The Petit Trianon at Versailles via Wikimedia Commons
After hiring architect Anges-Jacques Gabriel to build the Petit Trianon in Versailles, in 1760 she enlisted his expertise for what would be her last great work at Menars: a residence all her own.
She purchased it herself after selling off the Château de Bellevue to the King for his daughters; other reports suggest she sold jewelry and pearls to pay for the first instalment of construction. The château de Menars was part of her arrangements, should she outlive Louis XV or be forced to leave court.
Château de Menars was originally built in 1642 and Pompadour had big plans to refurbish the castle and build her dream home, adding flanking wings to the main château. Unfortunately she would never see Menars complete: Jeanne-Antoinette died in 1764 from tuberculosis. She was 42.
Watercolor “portraitist” of houses, Nicolas Pérignon visited Château Menars and depicted what the palace would look like once complete (1761-64).
Her brother, the Marquis de Marigny, would finish the restoration, but the property would sit quietly for over two centuries. In 1980 the property belonged to Saint-Gobain, a Parisian glass making company who would use the château for company retreats. When the company was nationalized by the French government, they were forced to sell Menars.
That’s when Sotheby’s chairman Peter Wilson told Baysari about the sale. With a fortune amassed from a successful real estate career (he had retired at just 32), Edmond purchased the château for about €2M in 1983.
Born in Lebanon, then under French colonial rule, Baysari left for the Americas as a teenager. After receiving a Harvard education, Baysari opened a widely successful real estate business in Venezuela in the 1960s. He then returned to Harvard for a master’s degree in nuclear engineering, before ending up on Wall Street working as a consultant. After, he traveled the world and settled in Monaco as a full-time philanthropist, focused on the arts.
A close friend of Ronald Reagan, Baysari also contributed to the Art in Embassies program in 1990, an art sharing program between U.S. embassies. which would eventually grow into a worldwide network. The crowning achievement of his curatorship was undoubtedly Château de Menars.
U.S. President Ronald Reagan would visit Chateau de Menars for an informal summit with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, organized by Baysari. Other notable guests include Mick Jagger and Britain’s Prince Charles. Sir Gawain (Wikimedia Commons)
In 1989, Baysari finally “decided [he] wanted to make a gift to Madame de Pompadour and put it back to the way she would have it if alive today," employing the exact methods used in the mid-18th century to “revive” Menars.
Even with the €100M invested into the château, the ground-floor apartments that were once Madame de Pompadour’s bedrooms are still unrestored. "I don't want to do it. I don't think I'm qualified," says Baysari, "I would rather that when she comes back, she does it herself."
Baysari passed away in 2018 without a will. The sale of the property belongs to his estate is being managed by his niece and the Baysari group.
This incredible 100-acre estate is one of the largest châteaux on the market in the Loire Valley, and offers views looking over the Loire river. The property is being sold as a unique business opportunity for the right investor and includes an introduction to an international 5-star hotelier to develop the property. It’s an exciting project for an extravagant hotel complex in the most visited country in the world.
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Sources:
Articles:
Forbes, “France's $100 Million Palace Pompadour: A Royal Chateau Restored By A Press-Shy Philanthropist”, Morgan Brennan, 2013.
History Today, “Madame de Pompadour's Staircase”, Nancy Mitford, Published in History Today Volume 4 Issue 1 January 1954.
La Nouvelle Republique, “Ménars. Le propriétaire du château de Mme de Pompadour est décédé”, Catherine SIMON, 2018
NPR, “More Than A Mistress: Madame De Pompadour Was A Minister Of The Arts”, Sunsan Stamberg, 2016.
Reuters, “Labor of love French chateau on market for $30 million”, Johnny Cotton, 2017.
Books:
Goodman, Elise. “The portraits of Madame de Pompadour: Celebrating the Femme Savante” (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2000)
Hooper-Hamersley, Rosamond. “The Hunt After Jeanne-Antoinette de Pompadour: Patronage, Politics, Art, and the French Enlightenment” (Lexington Books, 2011)
An 11th Century Catalan Castle in Roussillon
A jewel of French Catalan heritage, the listed medieval chateau was originally a simple keep, fortified over the centuries and then converted into a private residence, all while preserving its unique history—evidence of cannonball blasts can still be seen on its facade!
A jewel of French Catalan heritage, the listed medieval chateau was originally a simple keep, fortified over the centuries and then converted into a private residence, all while preserving its unique history—evidence of cannonball blasts can still be seen on its facade!
With its unique positioning at the historic border of the Kingdom of France, the property offers spectacular views out over the former French province, overlooking Cathar castles, the Pyrenees, and the Mediterranean sea.
The Catalan chateau is nestled in 17 acres of land, surrounded by orchards, vineyards, and woodland, including a listed chapel on the grounds set within ruins of an old village.
Updated by the current owners, the property is outfitted with modern comforts while retaining its signature medieval charm, with amenities like a swimming pool with pool house nestled beneath the historic buttresses, and a lovely rooftop patio with a fountain atop the keep.
Inside, the old dungeon has been converted into a bar and the arms room has been transformed into a screening room with a projector. The library, set at the top of the castle, has a lovely fireplace and beautiful sea views, and there are also offices, boudoirs, and a dining room in the chapter house.
The comfortable family home offers 6,996 square feet across 3 levels with light-filled spaces and lovely medieval period detail in the doors and windows.
The 7 bedroom residence also offers a separate 2 bedroom guest suite on the ground floor, rented out as a b&b.
All photos belong to the listing agency.
Contemporary Villa in the French Riviera Hills
The dreamy stone villa is located south of Vence, a charming medieval town set in the mountains and a world away from the hustle and bustle of the Cote d’Azur.
The dreamy stone villa is located south of Vence, a charming medieval town set in the mountains and a world away from the hustle and bustle of the Cote d’Azur.
Set on 0.6 acres, the boutique property was designed with lifestyle in mind, featuring landscaped gardens, large terraces, and an infinity pool with a pool house and summer kitchen.
The contemporary villa offers 3229 square feet of interior space, with 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, and open-concept living spaces which spill out onto the terraces.
A modern take on the classic Provencal house, the property mixes noble materials (stone, wood) with modern amenities, like the sliding pocket doors and modern finishes in the kitchen and bathrooms.
In the basement, there is the possibility to create a screening room or a home gym.
All photos belong to the listing agency.
A Dreamy Stone Bastide in the Luberon
The 17 acre French country estate is set in the heart of the Luberon Natural Park, near the villages of Apt, Bonnieux and Lacoste.
This property is on the market for €8,200,000, listed with Daniel Feau Immobilier.
The 17 acre French country estate is set in the heart of the Luberon Natural Park, near the villages of Apt, Bonnieux and Lacoste.
The 15th century stone bastide property benefits from an elevated positioning which showcases stunning views of the surrounding Luberon hills.
Surrounded by lovely gardens and elegant terraces with old fountains, the property’s lush grounds contain centennial oak trees, cypresses, and olive trees, evoking a type of French country romance you can only find in the south of France.
With a swimming pool, summer kitchen, and countless dreamy terraces, la vie est belle. The stone bastide spans 7319 square feet, with 6 ensuite bedrooms, some of which open out directly to the terraces overlooking the surrounding countryside.
Restored in recent years, the exceptional property consists of a 3-storey stone bastide and an annex, connected through the inner courtyard.
Several lovely reception rooms provide ample space for living and entertaining, and the property comes with a separate caretaker’s lodge.
All photos belong to the listing agency.
French Riviera Bastide With Panoramic Sea Views
This lovely French bastide property is set at the top of a gated community within the seaside resort of Saint-Raphaël, just 5 minutes from the region’s beautiful beaches.
This lovely French bastide property is set at the top of a gated community within the seaside resort of Saint-Raphaël, just 5 minutes from the region’s beautiful beaches.
Built for a prominent French family, the bastide property features a timeless classic style and Provencal charm throughout the 4305 square foot bastide.
The main villa has several annexes and 6 ensuite bedrooms; the cathedral reception room opens out to the terraces and their 360 degree views over the bay of Agay to the peninsula of Saint-Tropez.
The idyllic retreat benefits from maximum sunshine with its southern exposure, boasting early morning vistas of Corsica on the horizon, and terrific sunsets over the red rocks of the Massif de l'Esterel.
Nested in a landscaped 1.26 acre lot with a swimming pool, the bastide property comes with a 2-bedroom guest villa and 3-car garage, and there is an opportunity to acquire the neighbouring 0.5 acre property with building permission.
Between the mountains and the sea, and boasting several hiking trails at its doorstep, this beautiful bastide property has no neighbours in sight.
All photos belong to the listing agency.
19th Century Gothic-Style Chateau in Brittany
The French country estate is nestled near the historic town of Vitre (with TGV access to Paris), and only 30 minutes to the medieval city of Rennes.
Built in 1860, the fully restored chateau is nestled in 14 acres of bucolic parkland, with formal gardens, an orchard, and a pond.
The 9 bedroom chateau spans nearly 8100 square feet, with a wealth of period detail throughout, including intricate mouldings on the ceilings and walls, wood panelling, original oak parquet floors and several grand marble and stone fireplaces.
The updated property comes with an elevator, and there is also an unfinished indoor swimming pool in the basement.
The French country estate is nestled near the historic town of Vitre in northern France (with TGV access to Paris), and only 30 minutes to the medieval city of Rennes.
All photos belong to the listing agency.
Exceptional Stone Bastide on the French Riviera
With panoramic views over the French Riviera from the Bay of Nice to Madelieu, the hilltop property is within walking distance to the village of Châteauneuf-Grasse, and just 25 minutes to Cannes.
With panoramic views over the French Riviera from the Bay of Nice to Madelieu, the hilltop property is within walking distance to the village of Châteauneuf-Grasse, and just 25 minutes to Cannes.
Nestled between hills, villages, and golf courses, the stone bastide is set within 2.4 walled acres designed by French landscape architect Jean Mus, with an artificial rock beach by Eric Danton.
Terraced gardens with 140 mature olive trees surround the 79-foot swimming pool, with an outdoor BBQ area and exterior WC and shower room.
The 6727 square foot bastide has 6 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, and generous reception rooms with soaring ceilings and large windows, featuring remote-controlled electric roller shutters.
The neo-Provençal property was built in 2004 by a local architect and features a wealth of custom finishes, like the underfloor heating of the terracotta tile floors and an all-electric eat-in kitchen with a generous pantry.
The master suite is an oasis, with his-and-hers dressing rooms and separate bathrooms with a Jacuzzi and designer showers, as well as a Hammam.
A finished basement can be converted into a media room and includes an exceptional wine cellar and cigar room.
The fully-walled estate comes with 3 secure garages and a 1-bedroom guardian cottage.
All photos belong to the listing agency.
Authentic Provencal House in Saint-Tropez
In close proximity to all of the action, this 1.96 acre micro estate offers the ultimate resort lifestyle on the Cote d’Azur.
The beautifully landscaped property offers a peaceful and private setting, just 2km from the glamorous old town of St. Tropez, and 5 minutes from the beaches of Pampelonne, made famous by French superstar Brigitte Bardot while filming ‘And God Created Woman’ here in 1956.
Saint Tropez was already a renowned seaside resort in the 1920s, attracting the likes of Coco Chanel, and by the 40s and 50s, the A-List market town attracted intellectuals and artists from the Parisian Left Bank, from Sartre to Picasso.
By the 1960s, the Riviera town was the most famous resort in Europe for the international "jet set", and this legacy continues today, renowned for its beaches and nightlife, mega-yachts and glitterati.
In close proximity to all of the action, this 1.96 acre micro estate offers the ultimate resort lifestyle on the Cote d’Azur.
Oozing authentic Provencal charm, there are 8 bedrooms across the property, including the 6-bedroom main house, a 1-bedroom caretaker's house, and two 1-bedroom guest suites.
Nestled below the authentic Provencal house, the swimming pool is surrounded by more lush greenery and features a pool house with a summer kitchen and WC, and a 1-bedroom guest suite.
All photos belong to the listing agency.