Remarkable Listed Neo-Gothic and Renaissance-Style Château

The fairy tale comes to life in the dreaming spires of this magnificent château in the heart of the Sologne, in the Centre-Val de Loire, a region of forests and ponds that for centuries served as royal hunting grounds of the kings of France.

An exuberant, 19th-century reimagining of late 15th- and early 17th-century château style, this regal Loire Valley castle was designed by Hippolyte Alexandre Gabriel Walter Destailleur, French architect, collector, bibliophile, and art historian. Constructed between 1887 and 1893 and listed as a French Historical Monument in 1995, the château's 19th-century revivalism combines the majesty of the French Renaissance and Neo-Gothic architectural styles. A decade ago, the property underwent a museum-quality restoration by the current owners.

Le Grand Château, with Le Petit Château adjacent and several ancillary structures, lie within a 126-acre (51 hectare) private demesne, resplendent with formal gardens, a pond with a private island, and—in the grand tradition of the hunting estates of central France—a deer park. Nearby are the medieval town of Bourges and the world-famous vineyards of the Loire Valley. Paris is about two hours' drive.

Le Grand Château

Presented in mint condition, this remarkable residence spans around 32,292 square feet (c. 3,000 sq m) across five levels. Its stately reception rooms begin at the entrance hall, with the Gothic black-and-white harlequin floor, limestone walls, and high ceilings embellished with decorative moldings and crystal chandeliers.

Proceeding inward is the principal reception room, one of several formal entertaining spaces appointed with exquisite antique furnishings, painted ceilings, and majestic fireplaces—replicas of those of the royal residences of King Francois I.

The splendid drawing room and the banquet-style dining room are served by a beautiful kitchen with its own carved-stone fireplace. The orangery has an open view of the surrounding parkland. Several rooms are dedicated to learning and leisurely pursuits: the grand library with hand-carved wood-paneling and a limestone fireplace; an elegant music salon with a grand piano; a billiards room with antique blue baize tables; and a dedicated chess-room. The private chapel is another notable feature of the main level.

A stunning, hand-carved wooden staircase, in itself a true chef-oeuvre, leads to the three upper floors which feature an 18th century-style boudoir, a bespoke dressing room, a master apartment, a Chinese-style bedroom and a Gothic-style bedroom, among 21 beautifully appointed. bedrooms and apartments.

The fitted basement includes a magnificent fully equipped kitchen, a superb wine cellar, pantries, two further kitchens, a fully kitted gym/exercise room, a utility room, several dumb-waiters, and an innovative system of transport trolleys.

The Ancillary Structures and Private Park
This great estate includes the Neo-Louis XIII-style guest house: Le Petit Château. Built in the mid-19th century, the stately brick-and-limestone residence awaits the vision of the château's next steward.

Other dwellings and outbuildings include the guardhouse, or caretaker's lodge, and the water tower.

The grounds are a private sanctuary of formal gardens, woodlands, and verdant parkland created by preeminent 19th-century landscape architect Henri Duchêne. A graduate of the National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts in Paris, Duchêne was a revivalist of the 17th-century garden tradition of the Grand Siècle, established by Louis XIV's principal gardener, André Le Nôtre.



The Estate

• 19th-century Neo-Gothic and Renaissance-Style château in the Loire Valley
• 126 private acres (51 ha) within the forests of the Sologne, the former the hunting grounds of the Kings of France
• Le Grand Château: beautifully restored listed Historical Monument with 21 bedrooms several formal reception rooms, a library, billiards, music, and chess rooms, and staff quarters
• Le Petit Château: Neo-Louis XIII-style guest house
• Ancillary structures: caretaker's lodge, annex, and water tower
• The grounds are fully fenced, with exterior lighting system and electric service points throughout the park and on the island
• Antique furniture and its fine art are also available for purchase

Amenities and updates

• Gas-fired heating system with underfloor heating and antique-style radiators; fully air conditioned
• High-pressure water system with anti-legionella filtration
• Home automation coordinates lighting, heating, music, entry gates, and exterior security cameras
• Elevator serves four floors
• Home cinema in the basement (under construction)