Castles With Too Much Overhead

Washington Post:  Inherited French Chateaux Move Beyond the Means of Their Owners

BOUCARD, France -- When this village's fairy-tale chateau is viewed from afar, with its seven slender spires and fortress-like bearing, it is easy to imagine the genteel, pampered existence of the aristocrats who call it home.

But closer inspection shows that some of the graceful, elongated windows are missing panes, a bridge across the moat has collapsed and tiles are falling off the roof. Inside, pigeon and rodent droppings carpet vast areas that have been surrendered to the elements.

"It is a very heavy load for people who inherit a castle," lamented Marie-Henriette de Montabert, 74, the diminutive, square-shouldered matriarch whose family has owned Chateau de Boucard since 1720.  [ MORE ]