An ailing 13th-century French castle has been spared when 6,500 members of an online community banded together to purchase the dilapidated estate.
The Mothe-Chandeniers castle in Les Trois-Moutiers, central western France, is tucked away in the countryside, surrounded by water, and overrun with flora. It is in dire need of restoration.
However, that may happen sooner than initially anticipated since, according to the BBC, a group of online users raised the €500,000 required to purchase the abandoned castle by donating at least €51 (£45) apiece.
As a result, the 6,500 participants jointly own the abandoned castle that was sold in installments in the 1980s after suffering damage in a fire in 1932.
A crowdfunding site on Dartagnans.fr, a business that specializes in historic building recovery, was reportedly created up in order to collect as many signatures as possible, according to AFP.
The crowdfunding goal was for collecting 500 euros in 80 days; on December 1st, or around 24 days ahead of schedule, the goal was accomplished.
The page for crowdfunding says, “First goal reached! traveling to the second landing. It’s finished and historic! Thousands of Internet users now own the Château de la Mothe-Chandeniers. We demonstrate our belief in the growth and protection of tomorrow’s legacy with our joint purchase, which also demonstrates that civic strength is always the strongest. Gratitude to the thousands of unidentified individuals!
Co-founder of Dartagnans.fr Romain Delaume told AFP that ‘participation of 45 nationalities’ is among the new co-owners.
Delaume stated that the objective is to raise a total of one million euros with a planned five-year business plan. This amount would pay for the costs of building the restoration project, including consulting architects, co-shareholders, and state authorities. All new members have the option to share ownership as well.
According to the crowdsourcing page:
Every contributor shall have a portion in the castle as co-owners. Our goal is to develop a platform specifically designed to enable each owner to track the status of events, activities, and project proposals, ultimately fostering true collaboration and participation in the project.
The greatest method to preserve an abandoned ruin over time is to turn it into a collaborative piece of art. In order to bring the Château de la Mothe-Chandeniers back to life, let’s preserve its special qualities and present them to the world as a harmonious blend of nature and tradition.
The project’s goal will be democratically chosen by the owners. The initiative is being carried out by Dartagnan, Adopt a Castle, an organization dedicated to saving endangered castles, and Friends of Mothe-Chandeniers, a group that was founded in 2016 and works to protect the castle.
