Castle

The Classicist: Sotheby's to Auction Treasures from Chatsworth, England's Most Famous Country Estate

Filed under: Decor, Auctions, Art, The Classicist, Architecture & Design

On October 5–7 Sotheby's will stage what amounts to the world's most luxurious yard sale at Chatsworth (above), England's most famous and beautiful country estate, owned by the the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. The treasures on offer include art, architectural elements, furniture, ceramics, glass, silver, and other items – even an antique motorcar – with estimates ranging from £20 to £300,000, or about $30 to $450,000. The sale comprises 20,000 objects in over 1,000 lots which will be on view in a series of marquees on the grounds of the house from October 1st. The several million dollars which the sale is expected to generate will go towards upkeep on the famed estate, which has 126 rooms – including a bathroom with murals painted by Lucian Freud – and sits on over 30,000 acres.

Several of the most magnificent pieces – handsomely carved fireplaces, architraves, doors and shutters - were once part of the fabric of the many great houses that have featured in the Devonshire family's extraordinary history, including Chatsworth itself, Chiswick House, Hardwick Hall, Lismore Castle in Ireland, Compton Place, Bolton Abbey and especially their palatial London residence, Devonshire House – now destroyed but for centuries the centre of the city's social, political and cultural elite. The sale includes works from almost every conceivable area, including books, carriages, glass, collectibles, sculpture, garden statuary, natural history, jewelry, prints, carpets, textiles, tapestries and wine. Some items relate to royalty and others to one of the family's most colorful members, the beautiful and charismatic Georgiana Cavendish, 5th Duchess of Devonshire (1757-1806), one of the most beloved and influential characters in British history. [continued]

Gallery: Treasures from Chatsworth & Devonshire House

George III gilt-bronze mounted library bookcase / doorway, circa 1800

The Devonshire Borghese table, an Italian carved giltwood console table with a serpentine alabaster veneered top, mid-18th centu

An ormolu-mounted Sevres style jardinière, late 19th century, Est. £2,000-3,000

Tags: antiques, architectural, aristocrats, British style, castle, Chatsworth, Chatsworth Estate, country estate, country house, Duchess of Devonshire, Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, Duke of Devonshire, England, English country house, fireplaces, furniture, Jane Austen, Keira Knightley, King George IV, Lismore Castle, London, mahogany, mansion, marble, Pride and Prejudice, royalty, silver, UK

Continue reading “The Classicist: Sotheby's to Auction Treasures from Chatsworth, England's Most Famous Country Estate”

Massachusetts Castle, Estate of the Day

by Laura Malesich (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

It isn't everyday you see a castle for sale especially without having to cross an ocean to see the open house. In Cohasset, Massachusetts a modest five bedroom, five bathroom home boasting 8,800 square feet and over ten acres of property is currently listed for $2.9 million. This colonial style, single family home built in 1900 includes thirteen total rooms, a three-car garage, four fireplaces and a finished basement. It evens lures a new home owner with nearby walking trails and only a couple of miles to the beach. Located at 211 South Main Street the stone and stucco exterior, dark wood interior, granite kitchen counters and period details throughout make this home at least an intriguing site that may require additional investigation.

(Unfortunately the images are not as large as most 'Estates of the Day' we share with you -- I guess that would be one way they could increase their chances of actually selling the home.)

Gallery: Cohasset Castle

Source

Tags: castle, cohasset, estate of the day, expire-images:2011-5-21, Massachusetts

Rent A Room In Kentucky's Castle

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

It makes a certain lovely sense that Versailles, Kentucky has its own castle. The CastlePost is the work of Tom Post who spent millions of dollars restoring the property and creating the unique retreat. The CastlePost has 16 professionally luxury rooms and suites, 12 within the main castle and four two-story royal turret suites on the outer wall which offer scenic views of the rolling green countryside.

According to an article published by USA Today, Post bought the home in 2003 for $1.8 million. The previous owner had started building it in 1969 but had never finished it and it was empty for more than 30 years. Post started improving the home but a fire destroyed it in 2004. Undaunted, he decided to build an even bigger castle and turn it into a bed and breakfast. It has 50 rooms total with a library, sitting room, game room and dining room. The grounds are equally lavish with a large pool, tennis courts, formal garden and a dragon fountain. A 2.5 acre garden provides fresh produce for the castle's kitchen There is also an onsite concierge who can arrange horse farm or bourbon distillery tours. Rates start at $375 for a state room and $1,250 for a turret suite.

Tags: castle, castle hotel, castlepost, kentucky, rent a castle, stay in a castle

The Classicist: Highland Living at Scotland's Storied Cawdor Castle

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spirits, Sports, Books, The Classicist

Cawdor Castle, one of Scotland's greatest estates which dates back to 1380, is the centerpiece of a beautiful new book focusing on the very best of Scottish style. Highland Living: Landscape, Style, and Traditions of Scotland (Flammarion, $39.95) by Stéphane Bern and Franck Ferrand with photographs by Guillaume de Laubier opens with a foreword by the castle's formidable mistress, Angelika, the Dowager Countess Cawdor (above). Born in Bohemia and raised in Africa, the exotic beauty was a fashion editor at Vogue and directed a marketing company in Paris before marrying the late Hugh, 6th Earl Cawdor and 24th Thane, and falling in love with the Scottish Highlands. In 30 years at Cawdor she has given new life to the legendary estate while preserving its historic heritage and way of Highland living.

At the heart of Scotland lies the legendary Cawdor Castle, best known for its literary connection to William Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth, the title character of which was made Thane of Cawdor. With its rich history, vibrant grounds and deep lochs, ancient, stony ruins, stewardship of revered traditions, and completely sustainable existence, the Cawdor estate, occupying over 49,000 acres, exemplifies the essence of the Highlands. Its magnificent interiors are filled with glorious antiques and handcrafted furniture, tartan accessories, hunting trophies and painted landscapes. Kilts and bagpipes, salmon and fly fishing, grouse shooting, hunting dogs, Land Rovers, shotguns and Barbour jackets, the shady realm of the Big Wood, thematic gardens, windswept moors, haggis and Scotch whisky are all part of life at the storied Castle.

Gallery: Highland Living at Cawdor

Tags: aristocrat, castle, Cawdor, Cawdor Castle, CawdorCastle, fishing, Highland, Hunting, Macbeth, Scotch, Scotland, Scottish castles, ScottishCastles, Shakespeare, sporting, tartan, UK, whisky

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The $2 Million Scotch Whisky Gift Experience

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spirits

Continuing our series on the seasonal smorgasbord of over-the-top exclusives offered by that glossy chronicle of the filthy rich Robb Report, we present their $2 million single malt Scotch experience. The profligate publication's gift package includes the following: a private tour of the Glenfiddich Distillery in Dufftown, Scotland, conducted by their malt master Biran Kinsman, where the recipient and a guest will learn firsthand how the famed single malt is produced before selecting a personal vintage cask of their own; a rare bottle of Glenfiddich 50 Year Old (above); two nights' accommodation at Ballindalloch Castle, home since 1546 to the Macpherson-Grant family, who will host a dinner in the recipient's honor; first-class roundtrip air travel for two from any U.S. city to Edinburgh; one night's stay and dinner at Edinburgh's renowned Prestonfield Hotel, plus a guided tour of Edinburgh Castle; private roundtrip helicopter rides from Edinburgh across the Scottish Highlands to the Glenfiddich Distillery; and a private tour of the historic Johnston's Woolen Mill and a traditional Scottish lunch with the owner.

Tags: Ballindalloch Castle, BallindallochCastle, castle, distillery, Edinburgh, Glenfiddich, Prestonfield Hotel, PrestonfieldHotel, Robb Report, RobbReport, Scotch, Scotland, single malt, SingleMalt, whisky

The Classicist: Celebrating the English Country House

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Estates, Books, The Classicist

We have always been entranced by the history, both cultural and architectural, of the grand country houses of England. The London-based magazine Country Life has long been the essential chronicle of these iconic estates, having featured a different country house in each weekly issue since it was founded back in 1897 and advertised many hundreds more in its property pages. A stunning new book, The English Country House, by Mary Miers from Rizzoli is sourced from the magazine's incredible archives. More than 400 images, mostly in color, highlight 62 houses encompassing a range of architectural styles spanning seven centuries beginning with the medieval Stokesay Castle and also examining the decoration, gardens, and landscapes, settings that inspire a continuing tradition of sporting style via country pursuits pursued with panache such as hunting and shooting, as well as whole schools of interior design.

As a result of its famous series of beautifully illustrated and authoritative articles, Country Life amassed an "astonishing library of photography and scholarship that provides a fascinating record of changing tastes and approaches to the country house and its garden over the past century," Miers notes. The book is illustrated almost entirely with images from its famous picture library, many of them by leading photographers of their day. The focus is not on the world-famous palaces that have now become museums, but rather the sort of houses to which Country Life has had privileged access over the years, many of which are still private homes often occupied by descendants of the families that built them. In the gallery you can preview photos from the book of Parnham House in Dorset, Honington Hall in Warwickshire, Claydon House in Buckinghamshire, and Renishaw Hall in Derbyshire.

Gallery: The English Country House

Spanning more than seven centuries, these houses were nearly all built as an "expression of status at the center of a landed estate, many interpreting the mainstream architectural trends of the day with their own distinctive provincial character," Miers notes. "They celebrate that rich seam of English domestic architecture that reflects, through a variety of material and design, the diversity of the English landscape and its regional traditions of craftsmanship." Punctuating the book at intervals in the form of booklet inserts on rich, uncoated paper are six essays by leading British architectural historians that set the English country house into its social context and chart "the changing tastes in decorating and collecting, the development of ancillary buildings, gardens and landscapes, and finally, its influence in the United States" in our own magnates' mansions.

Tags: architecture, castle, country house, Country Life, CountryHouse, CountryLife, England, garden, photography, UK

Remarkable Residences, Through the Eye of an Earl

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Estates, Books

The English aristocrat the 12th Earl of Drogheda, better known as Derry Moore to his friends, is an arbiter of taste and style but also an accomplished photographer for Architectural Digest and other magazines, as well as the the author of several books. His latest, In House, just published by Rizzoli, is a selection of interiors from what he considers to be some of the world's most remarkable residences photographed over the last 35 years. The 28 houses pictured within are richly diverse in style and period with a common thread of originality, eccentricity and aesthetic appeal. They range from an airy and colorful palace in Morocco to an "austere but whimsical" Scottish castle; an Art Deco masterpiece in Jodhpur to a cluttered apartment in Prague; and from the museum-like home of one of London's most macabre collectors to the "extravagant remnants of Madrid's aristocratic heritage." Each of the houses is accompanied by commentary from noted architecture and design writer Mitchell Owens, and is laid out with an eye to its unique character by award-winning graphic designer Jonathan Barnbrook.

Tags: Architectural Digest, ArchitecturalDigest, aristocrat, castle, interior design, InteriorDesign, photographer, photography, UK

Carla Bruni's Castle Back on the Market for $28 Million, Estate of the Day

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Wealth

Back in February we reported that Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, the sexy supermodel, singer and first lady of France, had sold her family's castle in Italy (above) to an Arab sheikh. Now the buyer, who has since been revealed as billionaire Saudi businessman Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, has relisted the historic castle with an affiliate of Christie's Great Estates with a reported asking price of about $28 million; he was said to have originally paid anywhere from $12 million - $25 million depending on sources. The 40-room, 21,000-sq.-ft. Castello di Castagneto Po, near Turin, has been repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt over the years but is believed to first date from the year 1019. Bruni's father, the billionaire industrialist Alberto Bruni Tedeschi, bought the historic estate in 1952 for about $1.5 million. It is surrounded by 175 acres replete with vegetable gardens, orchards, flowering terraces, ancient greenhouses, a caretaker's house and a farm building.

Gallery: Carla Bruni's Castle

Tags: billionaire, Carla Bruni, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, CarlaBruni, CarlaBruni-sarkozy, castle, Christies Great Estates, ChristiesGreatEstates, estate of the day, EstateOfTheDay, France, Italy, Nicolas Sarkozy, NicolasSarkozy, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, PrinceAlwaleedBinTalal, Saudi Arabia, SaudiArabia

Beckhams' Bid to Buy Milanese Castle Quashed

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Sports

If a new report out of Italy can be believed - and something may well have been lost in translation - David and Victoria Beckham have failed in a bid to buy part of Milan's famed Castello Sforzesco (above), a 15th century castle that now houses artworks by Michelangelo and Da Vinci. Apparently the mega-rich Beckhams have been house shopping in Milan as he expects to sign a soccer contract there. Victoria is said to have set her eye on the centrally located, historically significant and imposing edifice, but was firmly denied by the Milan City Council. There were also rumors that Victoria wanted to buy a whole floor of the Armani hotel which is being built in the city, though that scheme has also come to naught. Hey, anything's possible with those two.

Tags: Castello Sforzesco, CastelloSforzesco, castle, celebrity, David Beckham, DavidBeckham, Italy, Milan, soccer, Victoria Beckham, VictoriaBeckham

Nicolas Cage Sells One, Many More To Go, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Celebrity Shopping

The real estate habits of Nicolas Cage are legendary. He does more buying and selling in a year or two than most of us could do in a lifetime. In the U.S. he currently has three properties on the market but overseas he's just sold one of his many homes. Cage bought the 11th-century Schloss Neidstein in 2006 for $2.3 million back in July 2006. It is believed that he spent millions in renovations on the 10-bedroom property which is on a hill and overlooks more than 395 acres of forest and meadows. But after all that work, Cage did what he always does, he moved on. The Telegraph says that Cage spent only one night in the castle.

Cage has a variety of properties up for sale from a $7 million island in the Bahamas to homes in Nevada, California, Rhode Island and Louisiana. While I've covered the other three, I haven't given the New Orleans, Louisiana house estate-of-the-day treatment yet. It seems a grave mistake on my part because it's quite lovely. The Garden District home has six bedrooms and grounds that include a heated pool and statuary. Inside the home's graceful lines, marble fireplaces, plasterwork, stained glass and curved staircase are elegantly preserved. The kitchen seems to be an overly modern off note but otherwise the home is beautiful and the rooms done in shades of periwinkle and pale blue are particularly winning. Cage bought in 2005 for $3.45 million and this home is now listed at $3.7 million.

UPDATE: This home is now listed at $3.45 million.

Experience more lush living in luxury homes and mansions or see the stars living large with celebrity homes galleries at AOL Real Estate.

[Thanks, Lana!]

Gallery: Nicolas Cage at Gray Craig

Gallery: Nicolas Cage in Bel Air

Gallery: Nicolas Cage in Las Vegas

Gallery: Nicolas Cage in New Orleans

Tags: bavaria, castle, estate of the day, EstateOfTheDay, germany, louisiana, new orleans, NewOrleans, nicolas cage, NicolasCage

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Carla Bruni Sells Family Castle to Sheikh for $12 Million

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, the sexy supermodel, singer and first lady of France, has sold her family's castle in Italy (above) to an Arab sheikh for about $12 million, the London Daily Mail reports. The 40-room Castello di Castagneto Po, near Turin, has been repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt over the years but is believed to first date from the year 1019. Bruni's father, the billionaire industrialist Alberto Bruni Tedeschi, bought the castle-style mansion in 1952 for about $1.5 million. The contents of the house, include furniture and antiques, were auctioned off in London for another $13 million. The Italian-born Bruni married French President Nicolas Sarkozy last year and has renounced her ties to Italy. "We had finished with Castagneto Po – nobody went there any more," her mother Marisa Bruni Tedeschi, the castle's co-owner, tells the AFP.

Tags: Arab, Carla Bruni, CarlaBruni, Castle, France, Italy, nicolas sarkozy, NicolasSarkozy, Sheikh, Turin

Balfour Castle, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Luxury real estate is slumping here in the United States and it's not all much better elsewhere. Recent statistics reveal that sales of Scottish sporting estates, large properties that appeal to the wealthy sportsman, are on the decline. The Telegraph reports that of the 26 estates up for sale in 2008 only 12 of them were sold by the end of the year. In 2007, according to Strutt and Parker, all 16 estates put on the market were sold with an average premium 15 per cent above the asking price.

This may be the time for foreign investors to make their move and if you should happen to have some spare money Balfour Castle in northern Scotland would make a fine purchase. The expansive estate on the isle of Shapinsay in Orkney includes a 13-bedroom 'A' listed castle built in the mid 1800s and acres for wildfowling. The castle's large formal rooms are done in Victorian style with elaborate fireplaces and intricate ceiling work. It was run for years as a hotel and the land includes three cottages and a farmhouse. It is listed at £2,700,000.

Experience more lush living in luxury homes and mansions or see the stars living large with celebrity homes galleries at AOL Real Estate.

Gallery: Balfour Castle

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Tags: balfour castle, BalfourCastle, castle, castle for sale, CastleForSale, estate of the day, EstateOfTheDay, scotland

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Scottish Castles: Recession Proof?

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Almost all sectors of the luxury market have been adversely affected by the global financial crisis, but castle rentals in Scotland seem to be immune. Harriet Filewood, managing partner of Scotts Castle Holidays, which represents more than 100 castles and country houses across Scotland, tells the London Guardian that business has never been better. "We thought all the talk about a recession would impact on demand for luxury properties this year," Filewood says, "but so far we have seen a 36% increase in sales. All our castles are fully booked for this New Year's Eve and we are even taking bookings for December 2009. Our average spend for a castle that sleeps around 10 people is £2,500 [about $3,600] a week and as far as we can see the demand for those is increasing."

Sue Bourne, manager of CKD Galbraith's Cottages and Castles rental agency, which has more than 500 Scottish properties on its books, concurs. "This year is just as strong, if not stronger, than any other year," she tells the paper. "We have not seen any decrease in demand and we have not had to discount any properties. This New Year's Eve, out of 50 castles, we only have one at the standard £3,000 to £4,000 a week [about $4,400 - $5,800] left, but we're still getting inquiries and may still let it. Compared with last year we are renting more properties. Some people are even booking now for 2010." Perhaps its simply a matter of solidity; what could be more comforting than a castle in these troubled times?

Tags: Castle, Castles, New Years Eve, NewYearsEve, Scotland

Adrien Brody Buys His Lady A Castle

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Celebrity Shopping

Upstate New York is full of many interesting properties including a fair share of castle-like homes. Now there is one less on the market, Oscar winner Adrien Brody's first home is a 19th-century estate that he bought as a surprise for his girlfriend Elsa Pataky. On her birthday, he blindfolded her, brought her to the estate and then rang the home's antique church bell before asking her to open her eyes. The pair have completely renovated the property with a little help from tastemaker Giorgio Armani and the latest issue of HELLO! magazine has pictures of the couple and the interior and exterior of this unique home. A few pics can be seen at the Daily Mail.

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Tags: adrien brody, AdrienBrody, castle, elsa pataky, ElsaPataky, new york

800-Yr.-Old Belgian Castle Will Go to Highest Bidder

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Auctions

On Monday, a famous 800-year-old Belgian castle will be auctioned off by court order to the highest bidder, and it looks as if someone could snag a real bargain. The 13th century Corroy-le-Château located just south of Brussels and surrounded by a moat, was built by nobleman William of Brabant and remains one of Europe's most perfectly-preserved medieval strongholds. The current owners, descendants of Brabant's, have been fighting over the property for years and have now been ordered to sell it with a Monday deadline. The highest bid so far is for a measly $3 million, the International Herald Tribune reports, though it is probably worth ten times that much. However, if no other bidders come forward in time, the 16,000-sq.ft. fortress on 50+ acres will be sold for that amount.

Tags: Belgium, Brussels, Castle, Medieval

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