THE RENOVATIONS
The current owners, the Butlers, acquired the château in April 2023. Since taking over, the Butlers have invested over 1 million in a comprehensive renovation over 9 months. This work included new flooring on the ground floor, exposing natural stone walls, new ceiling in the banquet, and redecoration throughout. With a background of interior design and an eye for attention to detail, the chateau is styled with elaborate crystal chandeliers, elegant furnishings and regal accessories.
The third floor, last used in the 1980s and still featured cubicles from its school days, has been transformed along with the second floor into 9 spacious and luxurious bedrooms, each equipped with new carpets, plush furnishings, and air-conditioning.
The previous owners lived in the apartment overlooking the château which has been re-modeled into 'The Coach House' featuring a kitchen, living room, dining room and 5 bedrooms. Their former office space below has now been renovated into 'The Garden Suite,' featuring a wet room, sitting room and two bedrooms.
The gardens have been manicured though still retaining the enchantment. New water features have been installed in the original 15th-century ponds. The gardens now showcase a variety of flowers and trees, including climbing roses, hydrangeas, elegant conifers, and willow trees.
Ornate planters and urns add a touch of elegance and grandeur to the gardens and entrances including an elaborate stone fountain in the courtyard.
The swimming pool's enclosed wall has been removed, and the pool area has been extended and re-tiled, now surrounded by lush palm trees.
THE HISTORY
The Château de la Couronne dates back to the 12th century, founded by The Lady of La Couronne, a prominent abbey situated in what is now a suburb of Angoulême. Although the abbey still stands as a charming ruin, the estate experienced significant damage during the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453), a conflict that, somewhat ironically, lasted 116 years.
In 1449, young nobleman Bertrand Farinard acquired the estate. Bertrand, a Varlet in Marthon training to become a Knight, passed the estate to his daughter, Louise Farinard, as a dowry when she married Mathieu de Chambes, Lord of Vilhonneur, in 1564. Vilhonneur, a village between Marthon and St. Sornin, became Mathieu's possession as was customary at the time.
By the late 1600s, the Chambes family still owned the estate, with Marie de Chambes as the sole heiress. The chateau was set to change hands again through marriage when Marie wed Jean-Pierre Chaigneau, passing the estate to their son, Charles.
In 1767, the château was sold to brothers François and Jacques de Viaud, and later passed through inheritance to the Modernard and then the De Fornel families.
In the late 1800s, the De Fornels undertook a major remodel to give the château a more formal and imposing appearance. They added turrets, changed the tower's roof to a crenelated profile, and replaced the traditional Charentaise roofs with slate, resembling the classic châteaux of the Loire Valley. The De Fornels also created formal gardens with yew alleys, installed basins with fountains, and introduced many rare and exotic trees to the landscape.
The château remained peaceful until World War II, when Germany divided France into the Occupied Zone and the Vichy Zone. The château, located in the Vichy Zone, housed French troops, with their commanding officer setting up in what is now the guest bedroom in the Garden Suite.
The château changed hands several times before being converted into a residential training centre known as the Centre de Formation in the 1970s. It also functioned as a summer camp. Filmmakers Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano who spent their childhood at summer camp, shot their film "Nos Jours Heureux" at the château who later achieved international acclaim with their film "The Intouchables."
The chateau was taken on in the 1990's by Mark and Nicky Cooper along with their two young children, who began its restoration and created a successful business hosting weddings and offering holiday lets.