France’s historic Petit Versailles château sold to Czech billionaire

• Constructed during what is known as the French Regency period (1715-1723), it was owned by French aristocrats, including the Noailles, Castellante, Talleyrand-Périgord dynasties and, most recently, the Pourtalès and Frotier de Bagneux families.

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 2): The historic Château du Maraisent, also known as the Petit Versailles (Small Versailles), has recently been sold. The buyer is reported by TopTenRealEstateDeals.com to be Czech energy billionaire Daniel Křetínský, who paid an undisclosed sum. The original asking price was stated as €52 million (RM245 million). Křetínský is also the owner of top soccer club AC Sparta Prague.

Constructed during what is known as the French Regency period (1715-1723), it was owned by French aristocrats, including the Noailles, Castellante, Talleyrand-Périgord dynasties and, most recently, the Pourtalès and Frotier de Bagneux families.

Located 36km west of Paris in the town of Le Val-Saint-Germain, the “palatial estate includes a 35ha landscaped park featuring magnificent gardens and a 550m-long mirror lake running towards the west facade of the main château”, wrote TopTenRealEstateDeals.com.

Surrounded on all sides by water (also known as a moat), “the grounds encompass 247 acres of rolling farmland. In addition to the main château, the estate includes a museum, several round towers, multiple water features, a bamboo forest, a working business producing hemp-based building materials, a chapel, and an underground dungeon”. Yes, you read that right – a dungeon.

“Characterised by a central cupola preceded by a peristyle with two symmetrical wings on each side, the imposing main house looks out over a cobblestone courtyard.”

Meanwhile, the interiors are reported to be immense and beautifully maintained.

“Featuring domed roofs, exposed wood-beams, elaborate ceiling murals, gorgeous chandeliers, patterned hardwood floors, and intricately designed wall coverings, the residence embodies the ornate style of Regency architecture.”

Original period details “adorn the spacious rooms, including original furnishings, paintings, sculptures and handcrafted objects with their own rich histories”. The home also includes dozens of rooms, “each uniquely turned out”, providing endless options for entertaining guests.

The previous owners opened the estate on Sunday afternoons in the summer for tours, and operated a bed and breakfast. Through the centuries, poets, writers and artists, from François-René de Chateaubriand to Pablo Picasso, have been inspired by their stays at the château.

Le Val-Saint-Germain is a picturesque “village” with less than 1,500 residents. Nearby “options for entertainment include the UGOLF du Stade Français Courson golf course and the Camping Parc de la Fontaine”.