Family Castle in France

Aurélien Deleuze, his wife Pascale and teenage sons Augustin and Victor live in this stunning castle located outside the small village of Bugnein in France. Built around 1700 by an abbot who was knighted by Louis XIV, it has survived the centuries almost intact. Unique period pieces and original French furniture takes us back in time as we go from room to room.


Owner Aurélien Deleuze, his wife Pascale and teenage sons Augustin and Victor.














An 18th century chandelier hangs above a a 1600s rustic table.




















Italian floor tiles in the hallway. Provencal sofa.

Photography by Gilles Trillard.
All images from here.

Marquis de Sade Castle Restored by Pierre Cardin

Second post today. This 15th-century castle, once the residence of the Marquis de Sade, was restored by world-known fashion icon Pierre Cardin. Located in Lacoste, a commune in The Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.

The legendary château, in ruins before Cardin stepped in, occupies a 70-acre hilltop site overlooking the medieval village of Lacoste.

With the castle courtyard’s structural integrity reestablished, the area, which affords visitors views of the Lubéron mountains, is now used as an event location of the Festival de Lacoste, a summer concert series produced by Cardin.

Designer Pierre Cardin sits in one of the stone walled rooms.

The entrance hall , where a bronze figure of a man sits on a Renaissance chest.

An arrangement of Louis XV and XVI giltwood chairs and an elaborately carved Rococo side table are among the designer’s selections for the peach first-floor reception area.

A cabinet showcases his collectibles, including an Egyptian mask and a grouping of early pewter tableware.

The quarry now serves as a concert space.

In the second-floor dining room, Cardin combined furnishings from multiple periods, some of which he acquired at a Paris flea market.

The castle’s walls were constructed of Ménerbes stone taken from the quarry.

Photography by Derry Moore
All images and information from Architectural Digest.

More photos from beautiful Spain

I thought I'd share some more photos with everyone from my travels in Spain. It is rainy here today - which is rare, so it's nice to see the beautiful blue sky in these photos.

The first group of photos is from the historic city Avila. About Avila:

"Avila is well-known for the amazingly intact wall surrounding the city, for being the birthplace and home of Santa Teresa of Jesus (a devout Catholic nun famous for writing poems dedicated to Jesus to in which she expressed her devotion to Him) and for sweetmeats made by local nuns and sold in small shops throughout the city. Especially 'yemas' made with egg yolks and sugar." via Guide to Avila

The walls have been amazingly resorted, and are, "One of the finest remnants of Europe's medieval era, the walled town of Avila was sacred to an ancient Celtiberian culture long before the arrival of the Romans or Christians. The city was captured by the Arab Moors in 714 AD,
recaptured by the Christians in 1088, and had its protective walls built in the 12^th century." via Avila, Spain

Chris and I were lucky enough to walk along the top of a section of the walls, giving us some great views. It costs a few euros but is worth it!


This cathedral was simply amazing

A typical square - outside seating is a real treat in the beautiful weather

Views from atop the city walls

I was under the impression that Spain wasn't big on sweets and pastries. Boy was I wrong. Does anyone know what this delicious marshmallowy, meringuey, graham cracker encased morsel is called? Even with the dollar at 14 month low against the euro - I had to have it. Chris joked that of course I had to pick the most "impractical" pastry, but that didn't stop him from devouring half of it.

These photos are from the beautiful La Granja. "The Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso is an eighteenth-century palace, formerly the summer residence of theKings of Spain since the reign of Philip V. The palace is in the small town of San Ildefonso in the hills near Segovia.... The palace is in a restrained baroque style surrounded by extensive gardens in the French manner and sculptural fountains." via Wikipedia



The grounds are extensive- over 1,500 acres.


The fountains are all based on mythological themes. Unfortunately the fountains are not on. "Today, only a few fountains are active each day. Twice a year, on the feast days of San Fernando and Saint Louis), all twenty-six fountains are set to play, providing a memorable show." via Wikipedia

All photography by Chris!

Segovia and Castle Alcazar

Here are some pictures of the sites I've seen in Segovia so far!

Pictures of the famous castle here, Alcazar, taken by Chris. If it looks familiar it's because people speculate it served as inspiration for Walt Disney world!

The doorway to the master bedroom!


Detail of some castle furniture


The gorgeous castle chapel ceiling.


This chair was beautiful - a simple structure, but the detail was ornate.

At one point the castle was an artillery school - these were some jars on display, I believe they hold materials of some sort.

Some of the original wall in the castle.

The famous aqueduct - it's been immaculately restored - and absolutely no mortar was used in it's construction.

A cultural festival took place this weekend.



I just thought these were cute.