Estates with a pedigree: Call for castles

It has been said that one's home is one's castle and, in some cases, this is literally true.

"Most Americans don't even realize that castles are available for purchase," said Jared Zaugg of Fortress International, a San Francisco company that specializes in the sale of castles. "I lived in Europe for a while and (had) friends who asked if I could help them find a villa in Spain or France, and one thing led to another. ... It's unbelievable thinking about some of the things that happened in some of these places. The buildings are beautiful, interesting and historical, as well."

According to Zaugg, there are 30 to 40 castles available at any given time across Europe, and they typically cost between $500,000 to $3 million. Offerings range from Renaissance-style chateaus to majestic medieval fortresses, some with forests, vineyards, moats, stables, swimming pools and gardens. Some have been uninhabited for many years, while others have been converted into residences, bed and breakfasts, or museums.

"Some people buy castles because of a romantic impulse, and some may do it for bragging rights," Zaugg said. "For more sensible people, they may purchase a castle for investment purposes. You can buy a castle for $3 million and maybe put $2 million of renovations into it, and you have a very historic, interesting piece of property. To get the same equivalent property in an area such as San Francisco, it would cost much, much more.

"When people decide to buy a castle, they need to understand that they will have to put money into the home over time. Most of the castles have oil heating, and I don't think that you will find a property with the heating and air conditioning like we have here. Sometimes it's wiring. Sometimes you need to replace the roof. Sometimes it will be very costly if you need complete renovations, but some of these castles have been very well maintained."

Not so for the Castle of Tiedra, a 5,000-square-foot property on 6 acres in northern Spain. It is available for $500,000 and is considered a ruin. With only a few walls, arches and two towers standing, it needs total restoration. In contrast, Castello Callalto Sabino, which is located on 3 acres of Italian countryside, about 60 miles east of Rome, does not require such extensive work. This 13,000-square-foot property features 12 suites and baths, several living rooms, a library, conference room, elevator, a heliport atop one of its towers, and a swimming pool. Its furnishings and weapons and armor collections are included in the purchase price of $3.8 million.

"The most expensive castle (purchase) that we were indirectly involved with cost around $5 million," Zaugg said. "It had at least 20,000 square feet, and was a gorgeous post-Renaissance chateau in France with about 100 acres of farmland and forest."

The availability of castles is greatest in France, and they are most sought after in the British Isles and Germanic countries, according to Zaugg.

"The castles are actually listed with local estate brokers, established and licensed in the various countries. It's better to work with someone who is ... familiar with the rules of the country. I work with about a half dozen different brokers that I came into contact with through lots of research, lots of contacts and lots of trips. There are other companies that sell castles, but as far as I know, we are the only one that specializes exclusively in castles."

Zaugg includes himself among the ranks of potential castle buyers.

"I've always been intrigued by history and architecture, and that's one of the reasons why I'm interested in castles. I've been interested in them ever since I went to Disneyland as a kid, and especially when I first went to Europe," he said. "I don't own a castle, but I am always looking. I know what I want and where I want it. I know what era I want it from. So when all of those factors come together, I will have one.

"When you buy a castle, you are owning a part of history; it is like an inhabitable museum. I don't know where in the United States you can get a property with so much history, except maybe if you purchased a museum."

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