CASTLE WHERE RICHARD THE LIONHEART DIED IS UP FOR SALE

12 JANUARY 2018 • 8:05PM
The French chateau where Richard the Lionheart died after being hit by a bolt from a crossbow has quietly been put on the market with a small ad offering this remarkable piece of Anglo-French history for well under a million pounds. The castle of Châlus-Chabrol, about 110 miles northeast of Bordeaux, has been for sale on France's most popular classified ads website Le Bon Coin since December 30th at the price of €996,400, or £884,000. The title of the ad states merely that a “15-room, 600 square metre castle” is available. The historic import of the chateau is only revealed by the text below the photos showing run-down buildings that are “in need of restoration.”

In March 1199, Richard the Lionheart – Duke of Aquitaine and Normandy, Count of Anjou, and King of England – was at Châlus-Chabrol to inspect a siege organised by his faithful mercenary, Mercadier. A crossbow bolt hit his left shoulder, penetrating deep into the flesh. Richard, one of the most popular kings in England history, ripped the sharpened metal out, but poor medical care soon saw the wound turn gangrenous. On learning who was injured, the castle’s defenders surrendered, and opened their facilities for the care of the king. When it became clear that Richard would die, his mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, arrived from Fontevraud to receive his last wishes.

Richard died from the wound on 6 April 1199, two days after being hit by the bolt.

The castle today boasts 15 rooms, a dungeon and “is located in the heart of (the village of) Chalus, with the whole of the domain offering unparallelled views over the entire region,” according to the ad. It consists of two parts, one private and the other at times open to the public. The current owners are believed to be three Dutch nationals.

In line with Richard’s wishes, his body, crown, and regalia were buried in the royal abbey at Fontevraud, next to his father, King Henry II of England. His heart went to Rouen cathedral, to honor his love of Normandy. Recent analysis shows it was embalmed with frankincense, myrtle, mint, poplar, bellflower, and lime. His entrails were buried in the Limousin region, whose knights had been his most faithful companions-in-arms, and whose language he had favoured for his poetry.

One chronicle tradition noted that, before dying, Richard forgave Pierre Basile, the man who fired the crossbow, for killing him, and presented him with a bag of money. But Mercadier, Richard’s stalwart lieutenant, had other ideas. Once Richard was dead, Pierre was skinned alive, then hanged.