Castles in SW France

Ever thought of owning a historic monument in France? You may think that the idea of owning a castle in France is a far-off dream for many homebuyers, however this dream has become a reality for many this year in southwest France and one that is more achievable than you might think.

France is fortunate to have a rich variety and an impressive quantity of castles from the medieval ages to renaissance and up until more recent 19^th century castles. The southwest of France is abundant in château heritage. The “château-forts”, the original castles, served the purpose of protecting the royalty from invaders whilst also being their habitation – think Game of Thrones here! However later without the threat of invaders and therefore no longer requiring fortified protection the needs and the aesthetics evolved. Together with the renaissance movement from the 15^th century this gave way to a new “style” of château. With this part of France having a strong and lucrative agricultural base many rich and powerful Lords started to build their own castles as luxurious homes.

Tour de Masse

Marie and Olivier Regis are the young, new and proud owners of the château known as “Tour de Masse”. This surprising and unique château built in 1453 lies a few kilometres from Espalion in the Lot Valley in the Aveyron. The castle consists of an imposing single square tower, 25 metres high with seven floors and four turrets. Originally built for wheat storage for the Bonneval Abbey (the abbey is now famous for its chocolate production since 1884), the Tour de Masse had also been the residence of the nuns from the neighbouring abbey and also later the meeting place for the “festivities” of the Lords of the country. In 1864 Etienne Poulenc bought the castle and it had been the family Poulenc’s heritage as a private residence until 2014.

Every third weekend of September France opens its doors to its wealth of heritage, an event organised by the Ministry of Culture in 1984 and has become very popular because it gives the opportunity to visit town halls, prefectures throughout the entire country even the Elysée Palace and the Château de Versailles as well as private domains and castles open up to the public at the owners’ discretion. Marie and Olivier did exactly this. They purchased the property in February 2014 and six months later opened the doors to their newly acquired castle to the public on the 21^st September. The castle had not been opened to the public since 150 years during the previous owners’ residency. The event was an enormous success, more than they could have imagined. The local community arrived filled with curiosity and excitement from 9am on the Sunday morning. Marie and Olivier provided a traditional Aveyronnais brunch often served at village fetes with saucisson, paté followed by tripoux (tripe), local cheeses and the traditional fouace. The visitors were still queuing at 12pm and the castle grounds remained open throughout the afternoon. A massive 2000 people visited the castle on this day, a great success for Marie, Olivier and the local community.

Olivier’s family roots lie in the village of Espalion since a few generations. He is one of many of the Aveyronnais whose family left their department 50s and 60s to work in Paris. To this day there are hundreds of Aveyronnais still in Paris but yet very anchored to their roots. When Olivier heard that the Tour de Masse was for sale he seized the opportunity. Since a child he spent his family holidays in Espalion, the doorstep of the castle – never quite imagining that he would one day be the owner with his wife Marie. Really a childhood dream come true.

Some interior work is required in the castle however an outbuilding has been converted into a comfortable chamber d’hotes room where one can enjoy the tranquil yet energizing surroundings. In her own words Marie says, “We have bought the Tour de Masse as a childhood dream and now want to share the love we have for the castle, the region and its heritage”.

The Château de Fayet

The Château de Fayet, situated in the south of the department Aveyron is a fine example of a renaissance château built in 1564. The castle hosted the visits of King Henri IV. It is really fit for a King or Queen, with its five impressive towers, one containing a stone spiral staircase. Approaching the castle down the tree-lined alley one is greeted behind the gates by a welcoming U-shaped courtyard within which is a sculpted monumental well. Entering the castle one finds a succession of rooms each one with a unique touch although coherent with the feel for the castle. The painted ceilings and large fireplaces add to its original and rare features. What is unique about this castle is that although very château-like in its exterior it has a comfortable and homely feeling to it and could easily be converted into a main or summer residence, which is its current use. However its separate gite and pool also provide scope for numerous projects. The entire property is uniquely set upon 6 hectares of land. There are certainly no disturbances here. This rare château is situated at only 100km from Montpellier and only 5 minutes from the Sylvanes Abbey which hosts its famous international summer festival devoted to sacred music. The castle is currently the owner’s private residence however he keenly opens the castle throughout the year for visits, which he conducts with a passion.

“Selection Habitat has never sold as many castles as in 2014” states Jean-Stéphane Vilain, director of Selection Habitat.

So why has there been an increase in châteaux sales?

Jean-Stéphane: “10-15 years ago castles were not being bought and sold as they are today as it was not very well perceived by the families owning them to sell what had been in the family heritage for many generations. But since then people’s ideas have changed and there are more castles on offer, and as a result it draws an increasing demand which creates a new commercial dynamic in this opening market. I strongly believe that the price for which the castles are currently being sold are very attractive compared to their potential value in the years to come. For example you can purchase a castle in the Aveyron for a starting price of 300 000euros and the most magnificent castle in good condition in Aveyron can be purchased for 1.5 million euros. So you can imagine the potential increase of value for our clients purchasing with us now”.

Who is buying?

Jean-Stéphane: “There are a variety of clients who purchase from French expatriates wanting to come back to their roots, locals who want to preserve and promote the architecture of the region by converting castles into luxury gites or chambre d’hotes with a unique edge, and also city dwellers from all around the world wanting to purchase a piece of history as well as a better quality of life in rural France with quite often the possibility to generate an income too.”

What type of châteaux can be purchased in the Aveyron?

“Aveyron’s castle heritage goes back very far to the medieval ages. There is presently a castle for sale dating back to the 10th century. As an example we have signed the sales act of Muret le Chateau which consists of a medieval fortified tower in good condition with original features for less than 600 000€ but we also have a great variety of renaissance castles which are strongly in demand and quite soughtafter such as the Château de Fayet. Such richness gives rise to very unique castles with dramatically different styles. What is also unique in Aveyron is that one can purchase a castle with lots of land attached too. This is not often the case”.

Selection Habitat specialises in character properties across the south-west and the west of France with its brand Selection Prestige specialising in castles, domains and master houses for sale. Château de Fayet is for sale exclusively with Selection Habitat priced under 1 million euros. If you are interested in Château de Fayet or further castles in the region please contact us for more information.

Nav Vilain

Marketing Director

Selection Habitat

nav@selectionhabitat.com

+33 5 65 70 10 49