<strong>Abandoned castle:</strong> The medieval French chateau of Ebaupinay, in les Deux-Sevres region in western France, has been left to crumble for years as nature has reclaimed the space. <em>Pictured here: Ebaupinay castle.</em>
Abandoned castle: The medieval French chateau of Ebaupinay, in les Deux-Sevres region in western France, has been left to crumble for years as nature has reclaimed the space. Pictured here: Ebaupinay castle.
Courtesy Dartagnans
<strong>New life</strong>: Now the castle has the chance for a new lease of life. Dartagnans.fr and the association Adopte un château have come together to organize a collective purchase of this slice of French history. <em>Pictured here: Ebaupinay castle.</em>
New life: Now the castle has the chance for a new lease of life. Dartagnans.fr and the association Adopte un château have come together to organize a collective purchase of this slice of French history. Pictured here: Ebaupinay castle.
Courtesy Dartagnans
<strong>Collective project: </strong>For just €50 anyone can buy a share of the castle, be named an honorary lord and help save the castle from ruin. <em>Pictured here: Ebaupinay castle.</em>
Collective project: For just €50 anyone can buy a share of the castle, be named an honorary lord and help save the castle from ruin. Pictured here: Ebaupinay castle.
Courtesy Dartagnans
<strong>Immersive experience</strong>: "This is to create a very immersive saving project and have all the people that will participate come to give a hand and help us restore the castle as if we were in the medieval age, like 500 years ago," Dartagnans founder Romain Delaume tells CNN Travel. <em>Pictured here: Ebaupinay castle.</em>
Immersive experience: "This is to create a very immersive saving project and have all the people that will participate come to give a hand and help us restore the castle as if we were in the medieval age, like 500 years ago," Dartagnans founder Romain Delaume tells CNN Travel. Pictured here: Ebaupinay castle.
Courtesy Dartagnans
<strong>La Mothe-Chandeniers: </strong>This isn't the first romantic French château that Dartagans has helped save. In December 2017, la Mothe-Chandeniers castle was collectively purchased by 27,910 Internet users from 115 countries. <em>Pictured here: La Mothe-Chandeniers pre-restoration </em>
La Mothe-Chandeniers: This isn't the first romantic French château that Dartagans has helped save. In December 2017, la Mothe-Chandeniers castle was collectively purchased by 27,910 Internet users from 115 countries. Pictured here: La Mothe-Chandeniers pre-restoration
GUILLAUME SOUVANT/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
<strong>Ongoing renovation</strong>: "What is great about the Mothe-Chandeniers is we have managed to to do everything we told the people," says Delaume. "So first we opened the domain, now we are going to restore partially the Mothe-Chandeniers, as we are going to invest about €800,000 starting on December 2018 and that will end next June." <em>Pictured here: La Mothe-Chandeniers pre-restoration </em>
Ongoing renovation: "What is great about the Mothe-Chandeniers is we have managed to to do everything we told the people," says Delaume. "So first we opened the domain, now we are going to restore partially the Mothe-Chandeniers, as we are going to invest about €800,000 starting on December 2018 and that will end next June." Pictured here: La Mothe-Chandeniers pre-restoration
GUILLAUME SOUVANT/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
<strong>Different scenario</strong>: But the two projects, Delaume says, are quite different. "Mothe-Chandeniers is a 19th century castle, this one's a 14th, so much more older and our project there it is to rebuild it entirely with medieval techniques and with material that will be produced on site," he explains. <em>Pictured here: Ebaupinay castle.</em>
Different scenario: But the two projects, Delaume says, are quite different. "Mothe-Chandeniers is a 19th century castle, this one's a 14th, so much more older and our project there it is to rebuild it entirely with medieval techniques and with material that will be produced on site," he explains. Pictured here: Ebaupinay castle.
Courtesy Dartagnans
<strong>Successful economic model:</strong> "We believe that more than buying only a castle, you also need to develop an economic model to help preservation and to raise more funds to to save this castle," Delaume says. <em>Pictured here: Ebaupinay castle.</em>
Successful economic model: "We believe that more than buying only a castle, you also need to develop an economic model to help preservation and to raise more funds to to save this castle," Delaume says. Pictured here: Ebaupinay castle.
Courtesy Dartagnans
<strong>Open for business</strong>: During the reconstruction phase, Ebaupinay will still be open. "It's going to be an open restoration site -- in which tourists can come to see our people work, from which tourists can go and give a hand," says Delaume. <em>Pictured here: inside Ebaupinay castle.</em>
Open for business: During the reconstruction phase, Ebaupinay will still be open. "It's going to be an open restoration site -- in which tourists can come to see our people work, from which tourists can go and give a hand," says Delaume. Pictured here: inside Ebaupinay castle.
Courtesy Dartagnans
<strong>In danger: </strong>There are other châteaux across France that Delaume thinks could get the Dartagnans/Adopte a Château treatment. "In France, for example, there are 600 castles in immediate danger -- meaning that if you don't do anything in the coming months or years, they're just going to disappear forever," he says. <em>Pictured here: La Mothe-Chandeniers pre-restoration </em>
In danger: There are other châteaux across France that Delaume thinks could get the Dartagnans/Adopte a Château treatment. "In France, for example, there are 600 castles in immediate danger -- meaning that if you don't do anything in the coming months or years, they're just going to disappear forever," he says. Pictured here: La Mothe-Chandeniers pre-restoration
GUILLAUME SOUVANT/AFP/AFP/Getty Images