A 118-room château originally built in the 11th-century – and 12 hectares of surrounding land – have been put up for sale for €1.5million.
The Château de Veauce in Allier, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, was originally the site of a fort built by Charlemagne before work began in the 11th century.
Various additions and renovations mean the château now totals around 118 rooms, and it is classed as monument historique by France.
Credit: @chateaudeveauce//instagram
One sticking point for potential buyers, however, is that it is allegedly haunted by a number of ghosts, including a teenager called Lucie who used to work in the château.
Lucie died in one of the five towers around 500 years ago, and is said to still walk the halls of the property today.
Other ghost sightings reported from the storied château include a 50-year old woman, with her hair up in a bun, allegedly witnessed by the current owner’s son.
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The main reason the château is up for sale, however, is because of the large volume of renovation works which need to be undertaken.
@chateaudeveauce//instagram
@chateaudeveauce//instagram
“I'm the president of the endowment fund that owns the property. We are a company open to the public and it's difficult to remain open to the public until the renovations are completed and the property needs work,” said Jeremy, son of the current owner – an Englishman who lives in the château.
Renovation works could cost between €10 and €20 million and include intensive repair work on the château’s keep which collapsed in 2005.
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“We're not worried [about the cost of the renovations for potential buyers], the château is magnificent, so it will find takers,” said Jeremy.
Because the building is listed as a historic monument, up to 50% of the cost of the renovations could be reimbursed by the government.
This reimbursement for historically listed buildings requires that they be in a rural area or protected town centre, easily reachable using public roads, and the property is renovated completely and not partially.
Even if the steep price of the property may be putting people off, the ghosts are not.
“No one mentioned their fear of seeing ghosts when they visited the château to buy it. It is normal to see ghosts in such an old place,” said the owner’s son.
