Today it is a sad truth that breathtaking properties such as this beautiful château can rarely be kept by the family. Too big, too expensive, too complicated, too prone to cause family strife.
This is the Château de Digoine, situated in Burgundy a couple of hours south of Paris. It was built in the late 18th century and has been lived in by the orginal owners ever since, but recently they chose to sell.
The property has been bought by a French gentleman who intends to restore it and open it up to the public within a year. Strangely enough, in view of his restoration plans, a large part of the furnishings and contents are to be sold at auction, next week actually.
Besides the grandeur of the main building, Digoine is also famous for its orangery, its library (that is said to have inspired that of Professor Higgins in My Fair Lady) and its theatre.
I invite you to take a look at the auction catalogue. Sad but fascinating, a real window into everyday life in a property this size. At its prime it would have required an army of cooks and cleaners, gardeners and other intendants just to keep it ticking over and ship shape. Nobody can do that today, and in any case few would wish to live in such overpowering surroundings.
And if you are fortunate enough to acquire a piece of this Burgundy history, at the auction on 22 and 23 March next, please promise me to take good care of it and remember what a special home it came from.
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