AFA Winter 2017

Winter 120 www.afamag.com | w ww.incollect.com Château du Sailhant, Le Sailhant, France “It is to a New York architect that Château du Sailhant owes its survival and rebirth.” — L’Union du Cantal, June 8, 2016 Château du Sailhant is a thousand year old château-fort located in the wild, isolated, mountainous Auvergne region of central France. Surrounded on three sides by hundred-foot perpendicular cliffs, the site overlooks a sixty-foot waterfall that drops into a volcanic lake below; the property is accessible only from one moated side. The château evolved under the ownership of prominent French families. During the Hundred Years’ War, it was in a continuous tug-of-war between the French and the English resulting in numerous sieges and increased fortif ications. During the Renaissance, the château was enhanced with classical details while made even more defensible. It then had a history as a bishop’s residence, a farmhouse, and most recently as a summer residence for a Parisian family who fortunately left the interiors, which had evolved over the centuries, essentially intact. The furnishings consists of Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance pieces from the 12th to the 16th centuries in the primary rooms with a neo-Gothic library and 19th century regional pieces and objects in the secondary rooms. The paintings span the late 19th century to early 20th century and include landscapes and genre scenes showing specific locations in the Auvergne. The collections continue to be added to through auctions and local dealers. Fig. 3: The Château is open as a museum seven months of the year and is available for events. The 18th & 19th century farmhouses in Le Sailhant, the small village at the base of the Château, can be rented with individual tours of the Château, along with swimming in the Cascade Lake, fishing in nearby streams, hiking on the renowned tall volcanic mountains, nearby skiing, touring of 12th century Romanesque chapels and surrounding châteaux, and wild boar hunting in the forest. This article is excerpted from the book, Homes.