What can you get for 1 euro in France? Maybe this Chateau in the Loire valley

The Chateau de Blancafort, built in 1453, is being put up for auction. The starting price is one euro, without reserve.

For a price that will be determined on October 19, the 2100 m2 Chateau de Blancafort and its 42 acres of private grounds will be awarded to the winning buyer. Six bedrooms, several guestrooms, a guesthouse and other outhouses combine to make this an enticing offer to those with deep pockets. And of course a wine cellar.

How deep the pockets are that turn up later this month is being hotly anticipated by onlookers. When it was last listed, 4.95 million euros was the asking price. Will it go that high? Considering that people pay that amount for an apartment of a few hundred m2 in Paris’ most expensive neighborhoods, such a final price is not to be sniffed at.

The Chateau was built in the 15^th Century but had its façade completed in the 17^th. The interior is adorned with the classic Louis XIII luxury trimmings and walls, but furnishings will be sold separately by the current owners.

Concierge Auctions, a New York-based firm specializing in such sales, will be managing the auction and promise that the Chateau needs no modernization or renovation of any kind.

“We are delighted to see such an important castle on the market in this emblematic and world-famous region of France”, said Concierge Auctions’ European advisor Charlie Smith. “The castle of Blancafort is in the architectural style of the classic French chateau and offers buyers a home that is both spacious and easily manageable. We believe it will be of interest to buyers all over the world.”

Owner Alban de Montjou, to whom the Chateau has been passed down through the generations, has previously opened small parts of it to the public, from April to October. This is the case this year too, with the last visits happening on October 15.

He did not respond to request for comment, but some locals did.

“I wasn’t aware of the sale,” said one woman, adding that they had always had a good relationship with the owner. “Let’s hope this is the case for the new ones, too.”

She and the other locals are hoping that the new owners decide to continue keeping it open for public visits, which would help maintain the region’s tourism industry. The local area around Blancafort has suffered since the musée de la Sorcellerie closed down in August last year.