Bruyères Sur Fère Château

About the Property

- SUMPTUOUS SMALL RENAISSANCE CASTLE BUILT AROUND 1540 - NUMEROUS REFERENCES TO KING FRANÇOIS I - 100 KM FROM PARIS - IMH - 2 HABITABLE HOUSES - LARGE PICARD FARMYARD - MANY OUTBUILDINGS - TO RESTORE CHATEAU-THIERRY, AISNE This property is mentioned in a work stating that François I, ’the knight-king, frequently met here with one of the ladies of his kingdom whom he loved most.’ Located 100 km from Paris in a beautiful preserved valley, this sumptuous small Renaissance castle built around 1540 is said to have hosted François I courting his mistress. The presence of a salamander, the king’s motto ”Nutrisco et Extinguo,” numerous symbols and references, including the arms of France on the main door, suggest this place was designed within the royal circle. The property consists on one side of the castle, uninhabited for about 150 years, and on the other side of a U-shaped farm formed by large barns and various dwellings, covering approximately 800 m² on two levels. Two residential houses in fairly good condition, one currently rented. The castle’s façade displays great architectural refinement typical of the Renaissance, heavily influenced by Italy, with six bays of pilasters featuring Ionic capitals on the ground floor and Corinthian capitals on the first floor, adorned with acanthus consoles, shields, mascarons, and medallions. The main door is an architectural masterpiece with a triangular pediment, pilasters, detached columns, bucranium, shell motifs, topped by the arms of France held by two women draped in antique style. Inside, the sumptuous and powerful straight staircase is decorated with consoles supporting vaults, stone molded ceilings, and very original dentil moldings. A large hall features a magnificent stone fireplace carved with a central motif of cut leather, mascarons, a Gorgon, strong men (savages?), clusters of fruits (and peppers), and, according to some historians, François I’s motto ”Nutrisco et Extinguo” (I nourish and I extinguish). The coats of arms are defaced. A large vaulted kitchen with a keystone featuring a guillotine motif and a large three-bay fireplace adorned with François I’s salamander. An 18th-century window is bricked up. In the staircase flight, 16th-century graffiti include one bearing the names of the owners of the time and another depicting a woman resembling Catherine de Médicis. Upstairs, a beautiful room decorated with a fireplace from around 1600, sculpted with large arms under a count’s crown, painted monograms under crowns, and an S with a bar symbolizing loyalty. A spyhole overlooks the kitchen. The room was divided in the 18th century. There is a Louis XVI fireplace and a 16th-century fireplace with a very rare motif of a slave with bound fists entwined by a [hidden information]. A very beautiful vaulted cellar with ribbed vaults around a pillar. The large U-shaped farmyard includes two habitable 19th-century houses (one sold rented), barns, and various buildings, covering about 800 m². 3.7 hectares of pasture and woods. Costs are the seller’s responsibility. Not subject to energy performance diagnosis (DPE). Information on risks to which this property is exposed is available on the Géorisques website. Information on the risks to which this property is exposed is available on the Géorisques website: https://www.georisques.gouv.fr/