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After the success of the first two collective buyout of endangered castles, which brought together more than 35,000 enthusiasts from 115 countries around the castles of La Mothe Chandeniers and Ebaupinay, Dartagnans and Adopte un Château are proud to present you the number 3: a mysterious, crumbling castle bonding with Nature, whose name shall be kept secret... for now.
Located on a unique and magical estate in the heart of the Cognac terroir, the ruins of this 13th century castle can be seen today on an archipelago of three islands embraced by the arms of the Charente river.
1 BOX = 2 Plots
2 BOXES = 4 Plots
ETC.
There’s magic inside...
You are holding in your hands the key to a heritage treasure!
Welcome to the Dartagnans x Adopte un château Club!
Open this box to find your membership card, which grants you the right to own a share of
the château and to name a cultivated plot of land after you or after the person you have
gifted it to.
Together, we are thousands all around the world...
To treat yourself or a loved one with a unique gift, simply select the €60 "La box Ma part du Château" reward. If you want to purchase more, just click the ‘+’ button.
We invite you to preview your gift voucher which you can easily print ! (for boxes only)
1- Right-click ci-on the image and then select 'Download'
2 - Or, click on the following link to download your gift voucher (for boxes only) : Download the gift voucher
Crowdfunded castle buyout is a battle-tested way to save a monument ; to this day, citizens all over the world have collectively bought two castles : the romantic Mothe Chandeniers Castle in the en 2017 and the medieval castle of Ebaupinay en 2018.
Every castle buyout rests on three pillars:
As with the earlier Mothe Chandeniers & Ebaupinay buyouts, our mystery castle will be bought by a SAS or Société par Actions Simplifiée (Simplified Limited Company). Each donor will be given the chance to become a full-fledged shareholder of this company for a symbolic €1 once the crowdfunding campaign is over and once the SAS is created.
A platform will allow each shareholder to follow the restoration works’ progress, events held on the premises, and projects involving the monument, thus allowing everyone to stay in touch and participate.
Volunteer works exclusive to shareholders will also be organised, in order to allow all of those who can to lend a helping hand and experience the landmark differently.
The castle is already a part of the network of 3 crowd-owned castles.
Each monument draws on the strength of the network, by creating joint events and tourist tours. This network also generates economies of scale, lowering costs of materials & obtaining better deals from providers.
This network extends to the local communities and businesses that partner with each castle. For instance, at the Mothe Chandeniers & the Ebaupinay castle, local restaurants and heritage preservation artisans are prized partners.
Located in the centre of the community of communes of Greater Cognac, Vibrac is in region where a range of nature-based activities and incredible produce are enjoyed. With many well-known products such as our world-famous Cognac, or the Charentais melons that French connoisseurs covet, the Charente region has a unique historical and culinary heritage to share.
Once a proud defender of the estate and residence of the local nobility, the castle of Vibrac has been transformed over the centuries.
During the 9th century, in an attempt to defend against barbaric invasions, the Counts of the nearby town of Angoulême endeavor the building of an entrenchment known by the name of “Fossé au Comte” (literally Count’s Ditch). This 20 km (12.5-mile) trench linked the Charente river dowstream and ran from the castle of Vibrac to the town of Montignac (southeast from Vibrac).
While the castle of Vibrac was likely of relatively modest importance at its very beginnings, it quickly became a significant fortification on the edge of the nearby river.
The fort was erected by Hugues de Montchaude on the estate around the 14th century. Through the marriage of his daughter Jovide de Montchaude, the estate and all fortifications where then passed on to to the Mareuil family, who in turn transformed the building into a fully-fledged castle during the 15th century. The estate would remain under the control of the Mareuils for more than 150 years, ushering a Golden Era for Vibrac : the bridges, the Renaissance extensions and the fortified mill date back to this prosperous period.
At the end of the medieval warfare period, the proud defensive castle progressively gives way to a beautiful farm, in order to focus the estate’s resources on cultivating the rich land it is set on. As its location in the centre of the community of communes of Greater Cognac indicates today, the 12-acre estate benefits from a rich soil, an abundance of sunshine, and of course the nearby Charente river, dubbed “most beautiful of all” by King Henry IV.
The castle is therefore a favourable place for the cultivation of produce, as shown by the role it played since the end of the 18th century. During the Revolution, the castle was almost entirely rebuilt; the old castle was gradually deconstructed to make way for a residence that dominated the land.
The estate of Vibrac is a living testimony of the region’s history: first a defensive fortification during the great wars of the Middle Ages, then a castle focused on the leisure of its occupants with the construction of large apartments, balconies and gardens, and finally an agricultural estate whose stables dominated the large courtyard.
Vibrac once stood proud on the banks of the Charente river. For centuries, its hardy stone walls once protected the land, its luxurious apartments entertained the castellans and its vast farm buildings fed its growing population. And then, as fate would have it, it was abandoned by the very people it served so faithfully.
Today, it is up to us, defenders of the world’s heritage, to protect Vibrac and bring its estate back to life. On the banks of the Charente river, let us make Vibrac a haven of peace, in harmony with nature, proud of its terroir under the shade of its majestic stone.
Let us honor this landmark’s historic past, teaching the world about its local history and the agricultural prowess of times long gone: this is the story we wish to write with you for the Château de Vibrac.
This mysterious castle’s history can be traced back to the 13 th century. It has been crumbling for a hundred years, after its roof collapsed at the beginning of the 20th century. Since then, the local flora has covered its remains, masking the exact size of the original castle grounds. Walls, chimneys, sculptures now stand in the middle of a green oasis.
The first step is to prune the invading growth and organize excavations to uncover the castle’s history. This will be handled during exciting volunteer works, who will be exploring and discovering the hidden past of our beloved stone giant.
In order for the castle to be restored to its former glory while still appreciating its century-old bound with Mother Nature, our visionary plan will seek to re-create living spaces, combining modern low-impact materials with traditional and historic craftsmanship.
An international architecture competition for the design of the castle and grounds’ will be held, of which chatelains will be reviewing the scope statement.
A couple examples of architecture example:
Un vrai chantier d'exploration sur un site magique où tout reste à faire et à découvrir...
Restoring an abandoned castle starts by giving it a new purpose. The restoration projects we have undertook since 2017 have been centered around visits & tours, lodging, and restoration works.
There is no way to give justice to this castle without cultivating the land it was built to defend and serve.
Located in a remarkable 12-acre protected area, we are tasked with safeguarding its unique environment.
Linking past and future, we will create an organic potager garden, under the permaculture principles, to once again put the castle’s rich land to good use.
The objectives are threefold:
What’s on the menu ?
From the beginning of the project, market gardeners and landscape designers will be responsible for preparing the soils and planting our first organic fruits and vegetables.
Permaculture is a method of cultivation based on natural ecology, which requires vegetables to be grown naturally, without pesticides, and therefore takes care of biodiversity and the ecosystem.
Our production will probably be spread over 2.5-acre area (20% of the estate) which is large enough to develop a economically viable business. We will have to choose wisely, and according to the seasons, the varieties of fruit and vegetables that we want to grow.
Our wish is to produce rare or forgotten varieties with an exceptional production quality. The estate will therefore also become a sanctuary for the preservation of our gastronomic heritage.
Examples of heirloom or rare varieties:
Every co-owner (either a backer who has chosen the €50 share, or the recipient of a €60 gift-box set) will have a plot bearing their name.
After the first earthworks have started, each will be granted an opportunity to choose the format of the name appearing on the sign : either a first-name & last-name format (e.g. Charles D'Artagnan) or a more discreet first-name and initial format (e.g. Charles D.)
Plots will be allotted in a random fashion; thus yours might be used to grow parsnip chervil, tree onions or Vitelotte potatoes.
These plots will then be referenced by a large sign at the entrance of the landmark, allowing the visitors to identify which plot was named after who.
In this emerald gem, between century-old stone and fertile soil, a new art de vivre shall emerge. Couples, families and Nature lovers will be able to enjoy a unique moment, in a tasteful and an eco-friendly accommodation. Their stay will contribute to the preservation and economic development of the estate.
The accommodation will also allow us to offer the domain for private or professional events.
Our duty is to preserve and celebrate this exceptional natural site: we therefore imagine building small ecolodges that will blend perfectly into the landscape with low-impact materials.
Each ecolodge can accommodate up to 4 people and will have its own theme: tree house, fishermen's cabin, hut on stilts, etc.
As with the layout of the castle, we will an architectural competition with precise specifications: materials, size, budget, etc.
A few ideas:
In order to finance the restoration of the castle, we must also consider the privatisation of the estate for weddings or corporate retreats as an important source of income.
As the domain has no closed space, it is essential to create one. What better building to both host events and celebrate Nature than an Orangery? This space will allow us to host all types of events and thus ensure sustainable income for the rehabilitation of the castle and the estate.
RENEWABLE energy
Lastly, our aim is for the site to be energy self-sufficient. Pioneers in cultural heritage such as the Fontevraud Abbey have managed to reduce their power consumption by half and their greenhouse gas emissions by a factor of ten.
Among renewable energy sources that could be pursued:
Volunteers are the lifeblood of crowdfunded buyout projects. Through the many volunteer projects will be organized starting spring’20, that will set the stage for the implementation of the whole project. The estimated costs presented above take into account the work of our valuable volunteers.
Everyone can become a shareholder
Allow thousands of people to have a say in the future of the castle is not easy.
We have written a technical note about the project that we imagined for the Chateau de l'Ebaupinay, presenting the major axes of security, development and the business plan.
All details are available on the technical note of the operation by clicking below :
Dartagnans
Campagne Château Mystère
15 rue de Milan
75009 Paris France
To verify your delivery amount, click on the "box" reward, and then on the "+" up until you obtain the desired number of boxes. page, après inscription puis connexion sur www.dartagnans.fr (pour un don de 1 à 999 euros).
Dartagnans is the French startup leading innovative concept to preserve and develop the cultural heritage through : its collective purchase concept, its crowdfunding platform and its online ticketing platform.
Adopte un château is an association that aims to save endangered castles. It tries to find original ways to restore monuments.
