What will become of the cursed Yvelines castle, sold at auction for more than 900,000 euros?

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Will this new investor break the curse that has surrounded the Château d’Acqueville for many years? This vast residence in Villennes-sur-Seine (Yvelines), built in 1598, was sold for 921 000 € during the summer of 2024 at judicial auction, after a first offer at €451,000 a few months before. The buyer, now the owner of a large part of the estate, will have to come to an agreement with the thirty other co-owners before being able to restore this heritage to its former glory.

From unscrupulous investors to lengthy court proceedings, the castle and its outbuildings are at the mercy of looters and vandals since the end of the 2000s. So much so that this little gem of local heritage, nestled in a nine-hectare wooded setting, is now in ruins. The restoration of the site would require several million euros of work. Between 12 and 15, according to some sources, much less according to others.

Who is the new buyer?

The new buyer, an Ile-de-France resident in his forties at the head of several companies specializing in real estate and medicine, expressed his ambitions for the castle to the representatives of the municipality met recently. He wants to build a complex for businesses, including offices, meeting rooms and everything needed to organize seminars.

“We have already acquired abandoned properties which we have restored. We know how to do it. We are putting everything in place to prevent further intrusions. »

In 2010, a first developer bought the whole thing for 4.5 million euros, with the promise of developing a hotel complex there. An investment financed by the sale of lots in the property to thirty-four individuals. In reality, a scam for which five people were convicted by the courts in September 2023. The estate was then bought by a second developer who went bankrupt before undertaking the work. Complaints were also filed against him.

The difficult equation to resolve with the co-owners

As several players in the matter have explained, this new investor will have to deal with these thirty-four co-owners cheated. They have never managed to offload this investment which caused them to lose a total of around 5.5 million euros and retain decision-making power on the union council.

“Aware” of this difficulty, he is waiting to speak with them in order to refine his project. Therefore, it is impossible to obtain details on the calendar at the moment. “ Nothing can be done without our agreement”confirms one of the co-owners, originally from the Lyon region.

The rumor of the establishment of a religious school shakes the local microcosm

This matter has also recently taken strange twist. A rumor is spreading in this wealthy town of 5,000 inhabitants. Under cover of anonymity for the most part, simple residents, associative actors and even politicians affirm, with great conviction for some, that the new buyer would consider transforming the castle into a “Koranic school”. The latest newsletter from the local historical society mentions it half-heartedly.

Without real evidence, these people summon sources in town halla witness present during the judicial auction, similar projects in neighboring towns or the low share capital of the acquiring company, to try to support their assertions. With, in the background, a common discourse on “protecting local heritage”: “This type of infrastructure would not be in line with the identity of the place and the municipality,” believes one of them.

The mayor: “The municipal election campaign began before its time”

The main interested party “formally denies” any project of this order and sees it as racist prejudices. “I hadn’t heard of it and it’s totally unfounded,” he insists. The mayor, Jean-Pierre Laigneau, is thinking of a maneuver by his opposition: “The municipal election campaign started before its time,” he thunders.

“The investor is a very serious person whom I met with his lawyer. He did not seem to me to have any hidden intentions, nor any link with any religious institution. This rumor is based on unhealthy concerns around Islam,” sweeps Olivier Daeschnerdeputy in charge of the file.

The subject could in any case be invited this Thursday, October 10, 2024 to the table ofcity ​​councilwhere the establishment of an environmental study area on the Acqueville estate will be voted on. This deliberation, “unrelated” to the recent change of ownership, should be an opportunity for everyone to express their concerns about the future of the site.

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