A Château Formerly Owned by the Rothschilds and the King of Morocco Could Be the Most Expensive Home Ever Sold

Is This the Most Expensive Home to be Sold?Whisper Auctions

A château on the outskirts of Paris is heading to sale by Whisper Auctions for $452 million. If it sells for the asking price, it could be crowned as the most expensive home ever sold, surpassing the current title holder, Château Louis XIV, which sold in 2015 for just under $300 million to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Named Château d’Armainvilliers, the home previously belonged to the Rothschild family and King Hassan II of Morocco. According to the Rothschild family archive, the home dates to the 12th century but was partially destroyed during the French Revolution. Edmond de Rothschild purchased the home in 1877 and employed the architects Félix Langlais and Emile Ulmann to build on the house. They included a low pavilion with steeply pitched roofs and upper stories. According to the archives, the additional features "bear some resemblance to the English cottage style found in Devey's Ascott." By the 20th century, the estate had grown to nearly 10,000 acres (The only privately owned home in America that comes close to this size is the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina, owned by the Vanderbilts).

The home features 100 rooms dispersed over three floors.Whisper Auctions

Keyholders of the home include the Rothschild family, the King of Morocco, and a buyer from the Middle East who allegedly never used the home. Whisper Auctions

So, what does $452 million get you? To start, 100 rooms spanning three floors, 17 bedroom suites, five salons, and three elevators in case going up and down the stairs proves to be physically challenging. There are also amenities on the grounds. If you're an equestrian then you're in luck as the home comes with stables suitable for 50 horses. There's also a beauty parlor, a hammam (Turkish bath house), and housing for staff members or, perhaps, additional guests.

The home sits on over 10,000 acres of land.Whisper Auctions

After Edmond's death, the home was passed onto his grandson, who then sold it to the King of Morocco in the 1980s. The owner after him seemed to not be impressed by the home. In 2008, "The property was purchased by an owner from the Middle East but has never been utilized," Ignace Meuwissen, cofounder of Whisper Auctions who is handling the sale, told Mansion Global.

For more information, please visit whisperingauctions.com.

You Might Also Like

• 12 Weekend Getaway Spas For Every Type of Occasion

• 13 Beauty Tools to Up Your At-Home Facial Game