Loir-et-Cher: the Château de Rère, jewel of Solognot heritage, ravaged by fire

A heartbreak for the entire commune of Theillay, and for the Solognot heritage. This morning around 4:45 a.m., a fire broke out at the Château de Rère, in Loir-et-Cher, a few kilometers north of Vierzon. “53 firefighters were mobilized at the height of the intervention,” specifies Sdis 41. Coming from several surrounding departments, they fought for several hours against the flames which ravaged more than 75% of the building.

In particular, the roof collapsed, as well as the floors of the second and first floor. Faced with a high risk of the building collapsing, the firefighters, who had originally been called to a forest fire, were also forced to knock down chimneys and sitting dogs, these skylights built into the roof. Secondly, drones entered the scene to ensure reconnaissance of the site. The fire is now completely under control, but the emotion is immense.

“This castle is part of the heritage of the commune. I visited it several times with the count, when he was still the owner. I have tears in my eyes, it’s really a memory,” saddened Gérard Chopin, the mayor of Theillay, interviewed by France Info. Built in the 17th century by Count Pierre d'Orléans, the Château de Rère remained the property of the family's descendants for 22 generations, before being bought and then abandoned by a private owner more interested in his immense forest estate of 450 hectares.

A building regularly squatted

According to France 3 Val-de-Loire, the Château de Rère had been on sale for almost five years, with a price listed at 1,350,000 euros. If it was not furnished and did not contain works of art, the 672 m² place was regularly squatted, adds the mayor of Theillay. “There have been thefts already in there. They tore everything away. In short, everything that had value,” assures Gérard Chopin.

Until now, the cost of a possible restoration, estimated at three million euros, had dissuaded potential buyers. Ironically, a visit was planned for this Thursday afternoon, reports France 3. If the causes of the fire have still not been clarified at the time of writing these lines, the investigation carried out by the gendarmerie should make it possible to determine it.