London, GB | Formerly of New York, Buenos Aires, Fife, and the Western Cape. | Saoránach d’Éirinn.

‘Voltaire’s Castle’ Up For Sale

Want to live in a French philosophe’s petit chateau but don’t want to put up with high taxes, soaring unemployment, and immigrant neighborhoods in a permanent state of rebellion? Then boy have I got the house for you! The seventeenth-century Château des Thons, which tradition claims is where the dastardly ‘Enlightenment’ thinker Voltaire carried out his affair with Madame de Chatelet, was shipped during the 1920’s to the peaceful village of Upper Brookville, L.I. in the Great State of New York and is currently on the market. The house features Louis XIV panelling, a sweeping staircase, a tower, and a good few fireplaces.

One of my favorite Voltaire anecdotes is his confident claim – hilarious in hindsight – that “One hundred years from my day there will not be a Bible in the earth except one that is looked upon by an antiquarian curiosity seeker.” Two hundred and twenty eight years after his death, the Bible is still a best-seller and the most widely-read book in the world.

Published at 11:44 am on Saturday 6 May 2006. Categories: Architecture History New York.
Comments

I wonder how many people actually read Voltaire. Excluding antiquarian curiosity seekers, of course.

— Jeffrey S. Smith 6 May 2006 2:57 pm

A tower…

A friend was renovating his house, and I asked him where he would put the tower. He immediately pointed to the place where he would construct it, if his wife would let him.

Did he tell me that he wanted to build a tower, or did we ever discuss it beforehand? No — I just knew that a tower was requisite.

— Mark Scott Abeln 7 May 2006 3:56 am

Ive read Candide in order to see what all of the fuss is about.

Its about nothing.

However his house looks very nice, and ill bet there are some gems in its library.

— Kenneth Hislop 7 May 2006 5:41 pm

I’ve read a lot of Voltaire. Then again, I’m doing a concentration in French Literature.

— Dilexitprior 9 May 2006 2:24 am
Leave a comment

NAME (required)

EMAIL (required)

WEBSITE (not required)

COMMENT

Home | About | Contact | Paginated Index | Twitter | Facebook | RSS/Atom Feed
andrewcusack.com | © Andrew Cusack 2004-present (Unless otherwise stated)