Still, it's in the Michelin Guide, which says: « Malgré la juxtaposition de quatre styles différents,
le château de Touffou forme avec ses terrasses un ensemble harmonieux... »
le château de Touffou forme avec ses terrasses un ensemble harmonieux... »
The Michelin Guide also mentions « la belle teinte ocre de sa pierre ».
Michelin also likes « les petites tourelles » at the four corners of the main building, saying they are « très élégantes ».
And one tourism site I looked at called Touffou « une demeure à la fois étrange et noble, d'une grande séduction. »
Nowhere have I seen any mention of the big stone lions guarding the front entrance,
but several web sites and books mention Touffou's "remarkable" gardens.
but several web sites and books mention Touffou's "remarkable" gardens.
The Château de Touffou is in the town of Bonnes, just three miles north of Chauvigny. It was bought by a British publicity executive in 1966. He died a year and two ago, and his widow put Touffou on the market with an asking price of seven million euros. Here's a link to an ad published in the Figaro newspaper in Paris. Be sure to look at the 25 photos... By the way, the Figaro lists 21 châteaux for sale in the Vienne department, around Poitiers, and some are going for less than a million euros.
Thanks, now all I need is €7,000,000.00!
ReplyDeleteHi BettyAnn. You'll probably need as much as that in addition to be able to maintain the property.
DeleteThe owner of whom you speak was David Ogilvy, British by birth, who made his fame and fortune as a New York adman, establishing Ogilvy Benson & Mather. My first proper job was working there. When he eventually sold out, he took his money and moved to France, buying the chateau. I believe I'm correct in saying he spent a few million dollars in restoration and engineering once he discovered that the building was sinking into the ground because of the eroding effects of the nearby river. The gardens were his passion. His gardener brought his tea every morning to his bedside so that they could plan the details of the day's upkeep. He died in 1999, so his widow has held on to it for a good number of years. As far as I know, he only had one child, a son, who must be getting on in years.
ReplyDeleteThank you Sheila for Ogilvy's la petite histoire. Very interesting.
DeleteHi, CHM, you're welcome. I think of you often and just hope you are making some progress in your recovery. I believe the American Recovery Plan includes funds for at-home care re-imbursement. Don't know whether this would be helpful in your circumstances but perhaps worth checking out. Btw, another interesting fact about Ogilvy is that in his 20's he was an aspiring chef, studying under and eventually, I believe, working for the great Escoffier in Paris.
DeleteWikipedia has an interesting page on David Ogilvy.b
DeleteHi Sheila. I published my above comment before i saw yours. I thank you for your concern and I take note of your information. In two weeks, it will be a year I'm in rehab and I still can't walk or stand on my own two feet. For a month or two, I have had a new therapist and we work well together. He understands what I need. Threre is a small progress!
DeleteSo interesting to know about the owner of the chateau! I always wonder who buys these places with their big upkeep. I wish it could be me! The chateau is lovely and I agree that the yellow ochre stone is attractive.
ReplyDeleteOooh, I really enjoyed getting to see the interior of the château Touffou. These are good things for me to show my students, who probably mostly only think of the look of Versailles, when they think of a castle.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful place, it certainly looks homely and cosy, not too grand to actually live in!
ReplyDelete50 rooms, and 2000 m² of living space is what I read!
DeleteGood for a great party!!
DeleteWhen we first came to live here, a man we got to be friends with (since deceased) told us that people coming from other regions would come here and buy houses at what they thought were ridiculously low prices. What they didn't realize is that much restoration or renovation would likely be required, and how expensive that would be. Just because the house is cheap doesn't mean the remodeling will be. The author of the local newspaper article I read about the sale of Touffou hinted that she or he thought that the asking price for the château was unbelievably high at seven million.
DeleteIn looking at more ordinary houses, we generally found that the cheaper the house, the more work and therefore expense required to bring it up to a good standard. We often hang our noses over châteaux that are for sale but realised pretty quickly that you have to multiply the purchase price several times if it needs renovating. Then you need a big income to maintain it. With a big house staff would also come in handy....at a cost!!
DeleteI studied business administration while at the university and advertising was one of my favorite subjects. I was excited to read about Ogilvy, the founder of the firm being the owner of the chateau. Thank you, Sheila, for your background information. Yes, Ken, I think there would be enough cares and concerns with moving to another country and purchasing such a large and aging structure without all the hassles of finding capable contractors! Though it would be appealing.
ReplyDeleteCHM - I do hope you will continue to make comments. I find them compelling and to the point! Do you by any chance have balancing issues? We had a family friend who had fallen and that was one of his difficulties after his accident. He did walk again and lived for several years after his incident. Don't give up, keep working with your therapist! My friend was Dwight, and he was also a very learned gentleman who always had plenty of background information and stories to add to any conversation!
Jean - you must live in a very grand place, yourself! My parents and I when visiting many of the large residences in Europe were always known to be comparing whether or not we "could" live in a place like that! We did find one that appeared small enough for just the three of us - The chateau in Triest, Italy. I've forgotten the name, now. I will research it.
Thank you Mary for your kind words. We'll see how it goes.
DeleteThe main issue right now is that my damaged leg stil doesn't support me. We are finally working on it.
chm, ask if they have a rowing machine available. It's good muscle-building, and you don't need to be able to stand or walk. Ask your doc. It sounds as if once you get the muscle strengthened, you'll be OK. I went through similar years ago.
DeleteMary.....LOL, wish we did! A small 1960's old folk's bungalow in the UK and a crumbling farmhouse in France do not reach too high up the grandeur scale! (But we love them both!)
DeleteJean - I'm sure the love is what counts! I enjoyed my visit to England so much! France is my #1 but I do love to explore and see the history I've read about for so many years. Then, there are the people I've met when traveling that really adds to the adventure! Ken has been opening my eyes to newer places that were not on my horizon and it has been so much fun to read and see his "chosen spots" to visit!
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