If you thought Belle and her Beast had the monopoly on gorgeous French castles in states of wild disrepair, then you’ve got another thing coming.
The Château de la Mothe-Chandeniers, built in the 14th century to house royal bacchanals and safeguard nobility, fell into ruin after an enormous fire in 1932.
The castle sits, slowly crumbling, in the town of Les Trois-Moutiers in western France. Surrounded by a jade-colored moat and vast greenery, the chateau was clearly once a sight to behold. (Especially if you were part of the British army, who liked the place so much they conquered it twice in the Middle Ages.)
Though it now looks much like an overgrown Chia pet, efforts are being made to restore the estate to its former glory. This month, 7,500 Internet users crowdfunded an effort to buy the castle, with each paying 60 euros in exchange for partial ownership and a say in the castle’s future. According to the crowdsourcing page, you’ll have access to an exclusive website where they plan the castle’s recovery, news, and castle-related events. And it’s not too late to get in on the action.
