Château de la Mothe-Chandeniers, Gothic Revival castle in Les Trois-Moutiers, France

Château de la Mothe-Chandeniers stands in water in Les Trois-Moutiers, its pale cream and grey masonry built on an irregular plan of connected wings. A tall round tower with a ring of crenellations rises on the right, its upper walls broken open, while jagged ruined fragments and steep grey slate roofs with dormers occupy the left. Rows of rectangular windows and pinnacled gables mark the central facade, where a low doorway leads onto a narrow stone bridge. Shrubs and small trees grow across the roofs and inside the ruined sections.

The original fortification dates to the early 13th century and served the Bauçay family as a defensive stronghold. It changed hands repeatedly between French and English forces during the Hundred Years War, reflecting its importance as a strategic location.

The name Chandeniers comes from François de Rochechouart, marquis de Chandeniers, exiled from court in 1655, who settled here and gave the castle its lasting name. In 1657 the poet Léonard Frizon described marble statues, rare horses, a theatre and a pyramid in the gardens. Today the site is owned by the SAS Château de la Mothe-Chandeniers, which unites the crowdfunding co-owners.

The castle stands on a 2.1-hectare estate at Les Trois-Moutiers, in the north of the Vienne department. Visitors reach the building by a narrow stone bridge over the water that surrounds it; the ruined wings and overgrown roofs mean paths and floors are uneven, so wear sturdy shoes. The site is privately owned by the SAS Château de la Mothe-Chandeniers formed by its co-owners.

In 2017, an international crowdfunding campaign rescued the castle from deterioration, transforming over 27,000 people from more than 100 countries into co-owners. This unprecedented effort made it one of the few European monuments collectively preserved by a global community.