A French Château Where Napoleon Reportedly Buried Personal Treasure Lists for $4 Million

The property, which is more than 1,500 years old, also has ties to royalty—it was once owned by a cousin of Richard the Lionheart, or Richard I, who was the King of England from 1189 to 1199. 

Sitting on nearly six acres, the château was also once owned by a chamberlain of Napoleon. Spanish historian Ivo Fornesa has stated that Napoleon stopped in this region of France during his return from Waterloo. Local villagers at the time believed he buried treasure somewhere on the premises of this estate.

Throughout history, Château de Saint-Chartier has been visited by various notable people, including Joan of Arc, French novelist and playwright Honoré de Balzac, and French novelist George Sand (real name Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin de Francueil), who set her novel Les Maîtres Sonneurs at this château. She also named the 12th-century watch tower on the grounds, giving it the title, “The English Tower.”

The château’s current owner has been restoring it since 2010. Additionally, the property has been partially rebuilt over time, and it underwent an extensive renovation in the late 1800s. It began as a walled medieval monastery then later became a fortress, with its own moat and drawbridge. 

The property also features a barn, which has pillars from the original cloister as part of its walls.