Abandoned Castle - The castle of Fables

We received photos from a traveler and compiled them into a historical summary.

The Château des Fables is a place that could have been magnificent in the past, but today is found absolutely and utterly ransacked. Human mediocrity at its finest. Why destroy such a building? Seriously. How can one justify smashing their own heritage like this? How could we ever explain this to people in poorer nations?

I found myself at this castle in a very foul mood. I had heard it was far gone, but seeing the extent of it simply revolted me. It was a feeling of shame mixed with a deep, fierce anger. This castle is a listed Historical Monument. Regarding the mental idiocy of such a classification, we have hit rock bottom; it is a blatant example of uselessness and gross incompetence. Even the smallest village community hall is alarmed, yet here, they were incapable of it. Dammit, look at the result.

The castle's origins are relatively recent, dating to the 18th century. It is a vast estate: luxurious main living quarters accompanied by immense annexes, stables, garages, and an orangerie. Its uses varied over time under illustrious owners, including a restaurant that did not last. Near the end, various bills suggest the rooms were rented out to private individuals. Despite appearances, it likely wasn't very comfortable.

Today, the castle is left completely open to the elements, summer and winter, right by the roadside; what remains of the windows clatter in the wind. It is an open door to every imaginable form of destruction. It is tagged, broken, doors are smashed in, and even the floorboards have been ripped up. The old castle farm and barn are still used as guest houses today. One wonders how that can possibly continue, given that the thunderous racket of vandals must be happening just a few steps away.

The one pleasant aspect of this castle is the semi-infinite variety of old-fashioned wallpapers, some depicting the ancient Fables of La Fontaine. It becomes a bit of a game to collect them photographically. These wallpapers are mostly located in the immense enfilade of bedrooms upstairs. The diversity is astonishing, testifying to an aesthetic search for the smallest detail.

As for the outbuildings, they lack architectural interest and pertain to older storage uses. The park, meanwhile, is being reclaimed by nature. When the time comes to reclaim all of this, the costs will be astronomical. Is it already too late?

Pierre adds these further details: I had the chance to visit when it was still unknown on social media back in 2016/2017. At that time, you could still find furniture and objects from the past, and there was no damage. The left wing was an apartment; many things remained, including personal effects and letters that detailed the tenant's personal and financial struggles.

In the castle kitchens, I found business cards for a "Castle Restaurant." According to my information, the castle had been bought by a group of friends for a modest sum with the goal of turning it into a catering and wedding reception venue. You could tell work had been done: toilets installed in the right wing and a professional-grade kitchen. An electrical overhaul had even begun in the main castle, with a fuse box that looked brand new and cables pulled through the ground-floor rooms. But apparently, the group of friends had a falling out, and the castle fell into abandonment.

Unfortunately, as you have seen, the place has been entirely pillaged. During one of my visits, I ran into local youths (14 to 16 years old) who were clearly there to dismantle the place. Later, it was squatted and used for parties.

The visit to this castle was rushed through in the late afternoon, turning into a tally mark of bitter disgust: just one more on the list. Yes, the old paintings are beautiful, especially those on the very high ceilings—they remain out of reach of the vandals. I openly wonder about the future of this place, neglected to the extreme. Apparently private property, there should simply be a power of confiscation for gross negligence. But one cannot reshape the world so easily.

Editorial note: The castle was entirely walled up in October 2023.