A castle situated outside Paris, once in the possession of a Rothschild family member and later owned by the King of Morocco, is discreetly being offered for an astonishing €425 million (approximately US$452 million), as per information obtained by Mansion Global.
This hefty nine-figure price tag positions Chateau d’Armainvilliers, located roughly 30 miles east of the iconic Eiffel Tower, as one of the world’s most exorbitant residences, notes Ignace Meuwissen, a luxury real estate advisor and co-founder of Whisper Auctions, specializing in off-market luxury real estate transactions. Meuwissen is overseeing the sale of the castle.
Chateau d’Armainvilliers, sprawling across nearly 2,500 acres, boasts a rich history, originating as a medieval fortress in the 1100s and enduring partial destruction during the French Revolution, as outlined in a brief historical account of the edifice in the Rothschild Archive. Remarkable ownership has included the esteemed Rochefoucauld Doudeauville family and Edmond de Rothschild, who reconstructed the castle and acquired additional land.
Most of the current exterior features of the expansive residence were fashioned during the Rothschilds’ tenure, with its “steeply-pitched roofs and timbering in the upper storeys… bear[ing] some resemblance to the English cottage style,” according to the family’s archives.
Meuwissen reveals that the Rothschilds sold Chateau d’Armainvilliers to King Hassan II of Morocco in the 1980s.
The last recorded change of ownership occurred in 2008 when, following the demise of King Hassan II in 1999, his son assumed possession of the estate and sold it for €200 million, as per Meuwissen.
“The property was acquired by an owner from the Middle East but has remained unused,” Meuwissen mentioned via email. Mansion Global was unable to ascertain the identity of the current owner.
The chateau, featuring 100 rooms spread across three floors equipped with three elevators, encompasses five salons, 17 themed bedroom suites, and state-of-the-art kitchen facilities. The estate offers an array of amenities including a hairdressing salon, a hammam, a private car park, stables accommodating 50 horses, staff quarters, and 36 assorted parkland buildings. Images depict the chateau retaining much of its Moroccan-themed interior décor.
Meuwissen plans to discreetly circulate the property among potential clients through his network. “Most properties we sell are on a whispering basis; the properties change hands mostly confidentially,” he noted.
Interest has already been expressed by prospective clients, “including one from East Europe, three from Asia, and one from Mongolia,” he added.
The property’s notable land size and development potential set it apart, Meuwissen remarked. Occupying an expanse in France nearly three times the size of New York City’s famed Central Park, the estate could accommodate various developments such as a golf course, apartments, villas, and even shopping centers.
Another property on the outskirts of Paris currently holds the title of the world’s most expensive, but could potentially be surpassed if Chateau d’Armainvilliers were to sell for a figure close to its asking price. Chateau Louis XIV, positioned between Versailles and Marly-le-Roi, fetched over €275 million in 2015. The owner is reportedly Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the heir apparent to the Saudi Arabian throne.
