A château for sale that went from hosting medieval kings to becoming a 'wild and famous' nightclub
The Château de Domblans is the very picture of the classic French castle — but its story is a little different to what you might expect.
'Châteaux owners don’t need to sell, and buyers don’t have to buy,' French property expert Stewart Cook told Country Life back in 2008. Stewart was speaking in generalities, but the point stands even today.
Bruno de Saint-Exupery, also quoted in the article and still in the business all these years later, made a similar point, adding that buying a chateau 'is about the fulfillment of dreams.
'It’s often influenced by intuition, different way of life, dreams, or even emotions,' he continued. 'A place to escape, lay back and enjoy the peaceful way of life of the French countryside.'
If it's a classic, dreamy château you're after, they don't come much more classic or dreamy — or châteauy, for that matter — than the wonderful Château de Domblans, for sale through Arriere-Cour and Belles Demeures at €1.3 million (£1.12 million).
It's an absolute picture book of a place, so entirely on-the-nose for a medieval castle, that you can almost imagine some warrior king of centuries gone by riding in to the place at the head of his retinue. And if you did imagine such a thing, you'd be closer to the truth that you could realise: the Bourbon King Henry IV apparently stayed here in 1595 while on his epic (and successful) quest to reunite and bring peace to France.
Did Henry IV (the French one, not the English one) sit in this very room? The chances are that he probably did. What a thought.
Even by Henry's time, Château de Domblans was old. A fortified manor is thought to have stood here since the 12th century, but the present building dates to 1446, when the whole place was substantially rebuilt following damage caused during the Hundred Years' War.
The intervening years saw the place go through all manner of ups and downs. It was bought, restored, sold, restored and changed down the centuries until, in the late 20th century, a nightclub called Le Babylone was opened on the premises.
Le Babylone was apparently quite a hit, since when it was forced to close in 2012 the local press lamented the death of 'one of the most famous nightclubs in Franche-Comté... the biggest, the wildest, and for a long time the most frequented.'
What we wouldn't give to see what Henry IV would have made of people dancing to 1990s techno in the halls where he once planned his next move in the Wars of Religion. And if we were able to resurrect Henry, we'd be able to show him this video and this Facebbook post to help him make up his mind.
Château de Domblans has been a private home since Le Babylone closed, and it's huge: there's around 9,500 square feet of floorspace, and over 17 acres of grounds — quite a chunk considering it's located on the edge of the town.
The character of the place is everywhere you look, with the ancient stonework and beams left exposed in many of the rooms to make the most of the atmosphere.
The agents note that there are seven bedrooms and 15 habitable rooms, with the house working well 'for family life or entertaining... the whole retains a warm, almost timeless atmosphere, where every detail contributes to a sense of belonging and continuity'.
Beyond the main castle itself, as you'll see in the pictures, a plethora of newer buildings have gone up over the centuries, including a barn, orangery, workshops and even a former stables, which could presumably be refurbished and returned to operation should you so desire.
There's also a series of cellars beneath the castle itself, which aren't pictured in the agent's details, which leaves us free to imagine turning them into a cinema room, wine storage, or anything else which takes your fancy.
Château de Domblans is for sale at €1.3 million — see more details.
