Explore the SECRET PASSAGES of this 1,000-year-old Chateau

A big thank you to Gonzague Le Nail at Cabinet Le Nail for the opportunity to tour this stunning French Chateau!

Link to listing:

We'd also like to thank the owner of the castle, Ivo Fornesa, for his hospitality and for letting us tour his beautiful castle. He had amazing stories about the castle. We recorded a separate video with him for my second channel which can be found here:

I mentioned he's an author of over 50 books, and I'd like to recommend his book,

Death in Saint-Chartier
which is available here:

----
Come tour this renovated 12th century French castle, located in the beautiful Indre department of France. Priced at €3,750,000, Chateau St. Chartier offers a blend of historical charm and modern luxury, set in an picturesque countryside setting.

Castle History

The history of this property is long and rich. It had it's beginnings as a fortified Benedictine monastery from the 6th century, when a monk from Syria, Santus Carterius, came to evangelize and build a monastery. The defensive aspects of the site were built up more over the years, and the first mention of a castle on the property was in 1102 by the Archbishop of Bourges when he was visiting the area. More is known when André de Chauvigny (1150-1202), cousin to Richard the Lionheart, was given Saint-Chartier when he married Denise de Deols, Countess of Devon. The authors George Sand and Alexandre Dumas were apparently common guests at the castle, and it must have served as inspiration for their many works. Rumor has it that Joan of Arc even stayed at the property during one of her campaigns, and that Napoleon stopped by St. Chartier after his loss at Waterloo and buried his personal treasure on the property.

The castle's high towers, spacious rooms, and centuries-old architecture reflect its long history. The grand rooms on the second floor open to a terrace with breathtaking views of the surrounding park. Inside, you'll find stunning features like parquet and marble floors, monumental fireplaces, and a beautifully chapel with stained glass.

Main Castle Layout:

Ground Floor: Entry Foyer, Dining Room, Lounge, Kitchen, Library, Powder Room, and Bathroom.
First Floor: The Red Room, The Great Room, A chapel, Salon.
1st Mezanine Floor:
Library with a Secret Passage to a Bedroom with Enstuite Bathroom. One Additional Room and Passage to the next Floor.
Second Floor: Primary Bedroom suite with Bedroom, Study, Ensuite Bathroom and dressing room, Secondary Green Bedroom with Ensuite Bathroom.
Second Mezanine Floor: The Blue Bedroom with Ensuite Bath, Home Office.
Third Floor: Game room, Bathroom, and Staff Flat with 3 Bedrooms, Living Room, Kitchen, Bathroom and access to the Watchtower.

Outbuildings and Parkland

The estate includes a partially restored 15th-century annex house, office, tavern, stable, and tack room. The park, enclosed by walls for privacy, features ornamental trees, paths, a vegetable garden, and an orchard with cherry, apple, walnut, and pear trees.

Park Details:

Area: 12.1 Acres
Features: Large ornamental trees, reconstructed paths from the 19th century, vegetable garden, and hundreds of newly planted fruit trees.

We mentioned a video from the Chateau Diaries where Stephanie tours Chateau de Saint-Chartier with Ivo and they talk about many of the objects found in the castle. That video can be found here:

I'd like to thank the following professionals, without which this video could not have been made.

Director: Tommy Lukrich
Videography: Tommy Lukrich
Drone Operator: Vincent Durouchoux
Video Editor: Josh Good
Animations: Josh Good
Art: Kadin McGreevy

00:00 Introduction
01:48 Entrance Hall & Armory
03:07 The Red Room
03:37 The Great Room and Chapel
05:55 The Den
06:24 The Library
07:53 Secret Passage #1
08:33 Secret Passage #2
09:19 Secret Passage #3
10:25 The "Jeanne d'Arc" Bedroom
11:30 Home Office
12:30 Primary Bedroom Suite
13:52 The Green Room
15:25 The "Apartment"
15:58 The Recreation Room
16:51 The Sitting Room
17:34 The Dining Room and Kitchen
18:29 The Wine Cave (And Secret Passage #4)
19:43 Castle Grounds Tour with Gonzague Le Nail
24:11 Ancient Outbuilding
26:19 Wine Tasting & Comic Book Room
27:31 Saddle Room & Office
27:56 The Castle Bar
28:53 Jacques Mesrine's Hideout
29:44 Raw Space with Potential
30:32 Exploring The Old Barracks
31:18 The Dungeon & Outro

[erikvanconover]

Subscribed. I have become obsessed with old world structures after touring a Chateau in Normandy last fall. Fantastic video, keep going

[jamessmithson-brrm]

Food for thought… when £4m in London buys you a run of the mill 4 bed terraced house… who wouldn’t rather have a castle

[MichaelH-ckhg]

I just bought it and I’m moving in next month. Oops, I was dreaming.

[chemokiki]

I've never wanted a property more!! I would immediately ask how much extra the owner would need to let most of the collections be left as well. The placement of paintings and religious objects from so many cultures are so magnificently displayed! It is truly a dream of a castle and having watched restorations of these types of dwellings I am aware of the amount of labor and money that goes into them. This place? I can't imagine. I'm obsessed. PS. I just looked at the price and find it beyond reasonable. Thank you for the unveiling of this historic gem!

[kevinjewell]

I've seen several videos with the owner, Ivo, and he is one of the most interesting and intelligent personalities I have ever seen before.

[abelprado]

For me, it’s not the amazing, beautiful castles and homes, but the heart melting smile… 😊

[EmmanuelBujisho]

Châteaux tours fit you so well!
They are for some reasons very inspiring! It is always a pleasure to watch your videos! Thank you Philip!

[lisalasers]

This is now my favorite castle. With $15 mill, I could live out the rest of my life in that library and bedroom. The extra money is for maintenance and taxes…

I get people wanting to understand the layout better, but I really enjoyed this wandering exploration of incrediblemess,

[timothypruitt]

What an artful and painfully beautiful property that exudes history from the very bricks. I was simply enraptured by the entire video. I can honestly say, I've never wished to live somewhere more in my life.

[wendydee]

Just that hand painted chapel, incredible. The rich velvet blue of the ceiling with tiny stars on, really beautiful :o)

[mickeybailey]

As someone who has spent his life restoring old buildings I so enjoyed your descriptions in this video. I cherish places like this. A bit beyond my budget otherwise I would jump on a jet to come spend a day investigating.

[Trafalgher]

I really liked the long version and could watch it for another hour. Keep up the good work

[kathleenschmidt]

I am glad you are providing a link to Chateau Diaries video about the estate. I’ve guided that tour, and they talked about the history of the estate, as well as Ivo’s collections of exotic or religious artifacts. I saw it when she produced it. I have noticed other videos since, that it was up for sale. I am glad to see Ivo still in good health, I wondered about why it was for sale.

[fuoridalsentiero]

Incredible video, it's like stepping into a fairy tale. The history and architecture are absolutely mesmerizing. Thanks friend for taking us on this amazing adventure!We join your channel. Big Like 🏰🔍✨

[jofleury]

WoW is an understatement! Absolutely Beautiful!!! So much history! Thank you for sharing!!

[vickiadams]

Amazing castle. What an interesting history. Thank you for sharing with us

[daya]

Excellent tour of this beautiful chateau.

[theflyingcorktx]

Amazing! And YES! Longer versions are better as I love seeing everything!

[yvetteghajari]

That chapel was exquisite, great video, thanks 😊 you remind me of Enes and Mikey with your banter and excellent showmanship.

[ИринаТрубицина-жщ]

Потрясающе!! Восторг!!! История и современность, как все сохранено и переплетено с современностью! Уникально, познавательно. Красиво и уютно! Потрясло интересные не только комнаты, но и потайные двери!) Книги! Молельная комната! Большое спасибо за видео!❤ смотрели вместе с маленьким внуком)
❤