Tour Of An 18th-Century French Château You've Never Heard Of

A few kilometres from the Haras national du Pin, in the Orne department in Normandy, the Château du Bourg-Saint-Léonard was built in the 18th century for Jules-David Cromot, superintendent of finances and buildings for the future Louis XVIII. Bequeathed to the commune in 1954 by its last owner, Madame de Forceville, it has kept all of its original furniture intact. From the library to the great drawing room, from the Chinese drawing room with its chinoiseries restored in 2019 to the kitchens still untouched, this tour takes you through the rooms, tapestries and listed furniture of an 18th century residence patiently brought back to life by its commune (with the help of the DRAC and the Fondation du Patrimoine), as well as the fruit store and the orangery, the next major restoration project.

Video made by Olivier Schweizer (So Châteaux), in partnership with the Orne department.