Copyright Forbes
It’s been about 800 years since chateaux geared up for battle with troops, weapons and supplies. The one-time military fortresses played their role during, for example, the Hundred Years War between France and England, but centuries later morphed into something far more grandiose. Taking a page from the Italian Renaissance, chateau style adopted peaked slate roofs, dormer windows, richly ornamental facades and large-scale interiors suitable for royal residences. A glance from the outside told you everything you needed to know about the status of who dwelled within. And that was the whole point. Napoleon loved France’s bountiful chateaux, either as his personal residences or as his governmental work spaces. Before being famously exiled to the Tuscan isle of Elba in 1814, the self-proclaimed emperor bid farewell to the nation at the Chateau Fontainebleau outside Paris. What a way to go. Modern-day chateaux turn up the volume on European design, flush with modern amenities no ancient warrior could have envisioned, and locations befitting their contemporary designs. Take Chateau de la Montagne, a ski-centric home that, at a palatial 16,000 square feet or so, stands as one of the largest and most iconic residences in Beaver Creek, Colorado. It’s shielded inside the gates of an exclusive community at the resort, no battlefield in sight. The façade’s stone and glass walls keep the attention on the surrounding woods and the lush alpine location. Softly peaked roofs cover the sprawling home, linked by balconies and outdoor stairs, that sits on an acre and a half of land. Once you arrive, there’s little reason to leave. You can ski in or out to the nearest runs, specifically via the Elkhorn Lift and Lower Beaver Creek Mountain Express, which also connects to the Bachelor Gulch enclave. Because chateaux naturally exist in enclaves. Want to have friends over? Seven large bedrooms with 14 bathrooms (several primary suites have his and her ensuites) should suffice. Want some more wine? Surely something from the 1,100-bottle cellar will please the palate. Want to watch a movie? Cue up your faves and kick back in the spacious home theater. Or maybe you just want to sit down to a meal in the dining room to peer out at the mountain, or cozy up to one of nine fireplaces at the site. Outside, nature provides entertainment and ultimate privacy year-round. With few neighbors, residents and guests can enjoy private moments by unwinding on patios and balconies or taking a dip in the outdoor hot tubs. And what nature didn’t provide, engineering does. A three-story waterfall flows down a convincing rocky course—a feature built to complement the landscape and greet visitors. The owner, known to the Forbes 400 list, bought the property in 2009. It was massively remodeled and re-envisioned as a four-story chateau with an exercise room, separate massage room and steam room on the first floor, bedrooms on the second floor. Going up again, the great room, dining area and kitchen occupy the third floor, with the primary suite on top. Prospective owners may be eyeing the property as a legacy home—a retreat for extended families that’s suitable any time of year. They also would be offered charter membership in the Beaver Creek Club, which adds golfing and tennis privileges as well as a ski club and other amenities. The cost? A princely $45 million, which may just set a record for the area’s residential sales.
