The owner of a historic French castle is willing to give it away for free – but there’s just one very large catch.
Dating back to the 10th century, the Château de Lagarde remains today one of the most charming medieval castles in the country.
Once dubbed the ‘little Versailles of the Pyrenees’, it began as a simple watchtower under the King of Aragon, Ramier I, in the 11th century before it was transformed into a defensive fortress by the Lévis family until the mid-16th century.
Built on a square plan and surrounded by four monumental towers as well as enclosures and moats, it was then transformed into a splendid pleasure palace in the 17th century, capable of holding 236 people at the height of its attendance.
But, despite the castle’s charm and history, its current owner Francis Tisseyre is willing to offer the site to anybody who is willing to take it off his hands.
The Château de Lagarde is a timelessly charming French medieval castle that first dates back to the 10th century
Its current owner, Francis Tisseyre, said he is willing to offer the beautiful castle to anyone ‘for free’
Reduced to ruins during the French Revolution in 1783, the castle was pillaged by people who sold its stones to the highest bidders.
After two centuries of abandonment, it was then listed as a historic monument in 1914 before a woman bought the chateau.
Upon her death, Francis Tisseyre was given the castle in 2012 based on the condition that he and his family return it to its former glory.
Mr Tisseyre arranged a non-profit organisation called the Per lé Castel to help raise funds for a rebuild by allowing visitors and fundraising events to attend.
However, after the castle was deemed unsafe for visitors to access the upper part of the castle this summer, it dealt a perhaps fatal blow to the chances of it being resurrected.
Instead of hosting 20 events per year, the unsafe structure now means only two to three events are allowed this year, severely impacting fundraising.
Speaking to La Dépêche, Mr Tisseyre said it would take ‘millions of euros’ to fully repair the structure, roughly twice as much as the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.
Current structural problems with the castle mean it is unable to take in large crowds to help with fundraising
Mr Tisseyre revealed that it would take ‘millions of euros’ to fully repair the structure
Despite the castle’s charm and history, Mr Tisseyre is willing to offer the site to anybody who is willing to take it off his hands
He then added that the castle is ‘available free of charge’ for anyone to take it, providing they carry out the repair work.
‘Neither the community of communes nor the department [will take the castle] due to lack of resources to carry out the work to make it accessible,’ he added.
To ensure not all is lost, Government authorities are said to be working out what they can do to save the monument, according to The Connexion.
However, it remains to be seen whether this charming chateau will slip even further into disrepair.
