The more than 130-acre estate located in a small town just outside the French capital was purchased in 1981 There was a mountain of debt owed including a million in taxes to the French government Reckert and Figueira put their life savings into keeping the Chateau de Lesigny The place they’ve also called Beau Château has served as a venue for weddings and more than 50 French productions They’ll use every bit of their renovation and design backgrounds to transform more than 20 rooms which is easier said than done when looking to keep within budget in spite of a number of issues including bug infestations and structural obstacles Reckert and Figueira first look to transform the bell tower space into a luxury bedroom suite (solar room) seeing their vision realized means overcoming obstacles like potentially costly rotted roof beams and a windstorm Here the high school sweethearts open up about their relationship Daphne and Ian are renovating the kitchen pantry in the Hunter’s Lodge on Chateau de Lesigny (HGTV) Did you take any tips or find any inspiration from Escape to the Chateau as you were jumping into this Daphne Reckert: No, we found out about (Dick and Angel Strawbridge) later Ian Figueira: We became familiar with their show and actually like a lot of what they’ve done I feel like their approach to renovation and design is not bound or restricted by any ideas Daphne: We haven’t had a lot of time for TV or movies How was it having HGTV document your renovation journey I know you’ve been doing something like this through your YouTube channel you meet the crew and eventually it’s like you’re living with the crew It’s actually been very nice because they’ve all been super supportive and nice There have been times that were really scary and stressful Everybody that was here showed up each day and rolled with the punches It was significantly different from YouTube where I just have my one camera on a tripod Daphne: And it’s just the two of us making the decisions You have a great dynamic and seem to have a great relationship but how is it managing those difficult times I feel like we almost had to compartmentalize stress because we had different things happening every single day we just wanted to get some food and go to sleep We needed to be on the same page about what was coming next Daphne: And remember we are on the same team Ian: And that each of our problems is shared Daphne: It’s almost like the problems are so big at the chateau that we don’t have time to have problems with us if the biggest problem of the day is that I ate the last bit of ice cream Is there anything you do to escape the chaos of these projects We go to the village to have an ice cream or go to the market Ian: Before we really entrenched ourselves with these renovations we’d go to Paris more often because we’re really close but once we really kicked up the renovations Daphne: Sometimes what helps it’s good to just go back to California you have to actually deal with trespassers Ian: The thing is the chateau property is about 130 acres total There are boundaries and fences that cover the whole property but once you go past the lakes behind the chateau People have found ways or breaks through the fence so they can come in and walk around they are just high school kids and we’ll catch them and tell them to leave but every once in a while we’ll find they are broken again so there is not a lot for us to do other than build and rebuild the fences Ian: Although when we catch high schoolers it’s funny because Daphne will then ask for their mother’s phone numbers to let them know they are there What kind of challenges do you face this season Daphne: One of the biggest challenges is just how big everything is and this room is the size of an apartment or even a small house What can you say about the transformations we’re about to see Daphne: I think we’ve surprised ourselves with how wonderful these turned out to be Ian: We started these projects with a very clear idea I used to work on houses that I used to consider old if they were from the 1950s and 1960s It’s like they don’t even have electricity and insulation The approach to the renovation is a whole different ball game because you’re not just considering how you want the layout to be It’s how do we correct the layout and bring in accommodations like electricity or heat How has business been since the show announcement Are you getting more inquiries for it as a wedding venue I managed to triple the amount of weddings we were booking per year You mention in the show the potential of buried treasure on the grounds Ian: What’s fun about this is I actually didn’t understand there being a real mythology of the treasure until Daphne explained the history of the place there was someone in close ties to this family Ones married to the treasurers of France at the time Daphne: Multiple treasurers of France have owned the chateau Ian: This couple specifically was where the husband was shot or stabbed in Paris and the wife… She did something with that between those days Some people actually believe so much that when Daphne’s grandfather was still alive they would call him and be very convinced they knew exactly where the treasure was They would try to see if he would be willing to split the treasure 50/50 if they paid for the tractors to come and open up that piece of land He always said no because he didn’t want random people digging around his property Ian: We’ve definitely been watching a lot more HGTV There have been a few shows that we learned of after the fact Ian: It’s a great place for inspiration for designs I feel like all the different shows on HGTV have an educational factor when it comes to renovation or garden Do you think life will change for you much after the show premieres Ian: The truth is in France I don’t think they care so I don’t think it will change our day-to-day Daphne has seen a few famous actors in Paris before and nobody gave them a second look when they walked through Ian: We’ll see if people recognize us more now Sign Up Follow along as these high school sweethearts make their wildest dreams come true HGTV is heading to a chateau in France for its newest series, Castle Impossible which will see high school sweethearts Daphne Reckert and Ian Figueira attempting to renovate a 500-year-old castle The network unveiled its spring lineup on Thursday (April 3) The show follows married couple Reckert and Figueira as they abandon their plans of living in California when Reckert inherits her late grandfather’s 130-acre estate just outside Paris the castle once welcomed guests like King Louis XIII and now hosts weddings on its main floor Reckert and Figueira will be taking on the daunting task of restoring the remaining dilapidated floors and buildings on the grounds as well as having family members with backgrounds in construction Daphne and Ian will confront budget constraints hunt for rumored hidden treasure and tackle a seemingly endless list of projects head-on to breathe new life into the historic estate and preserve her grandfather’s legacy,” the synopsis reads A post shared by HGTV (@hgtv) While Castle Impossible is new to the HGTV lineup, Reckert and Figueira have actually been documenting their renovation attempts on YouTube since 2022. Per the channel’s official description the castle includes a “500-year-old medieval dungeon “Our lives changed forever when I inherited my grandfather’s 500-year-old chateau in France,” Reckert said in a statement “If we don’t keep up the renovations “We don’t exactly have a financial safety net,” Figueira said The April 29 premiere will see Reckert and Figueira transforming the castle’s bell tower into a luxury bedroom suite “With the tower in a dilapidated state rotten roof beams and a windstorm could turn this project into a catastrophe,” the episode description teases Let us know your thoughts in the comments below Sign Up Your Ads Privacy ChoicesIMDb The stunning backdrop matches the spectacular costumes Fans of the opulent BBC period drama are asking where Marie Antoinette filmed - look no further Marie Antoinette is setting fans of historical drama alight with its incredible costumes The series has been brought to audiences by writer of The Favourite Deborah Davis - with the plethora of awards the film received Marie Antoinette was always on a path to greatness The story unfolds just before the French Revolution with a 14-year-old Marie Antoinette becoming the last Queen of France becoming Dauphine of France with her marriage to Louis-Auguste As a collaboration between the BBC and Canal+ the series premiered in France in October 2022 viewers have been asking where Marie Antoinette was filmed - read on for all of the answers. although there are also plenty of new ones to be seen Marie Antoinette was filmed predominantly on location in France using French palaces and estates where the titular Marie Antoinette actually lived and the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte. With many of the castles used for filming in use as personal homes the production team had to reconstruct many of their rooms and corridors to form an accurate replica of the time period. A post shared by Château de Versailles (@chateauversailles) The Palace of Versailles is a World Heritage Site and described as one of the greatest achievements in French 17th century art With roots as Louis XIII's hunting pavilion the estate was transformed and extended by his son and he eventually installed the Court and government there in 1682 The Palace was used by the following generations of Kings until the French Revolution with visiting and ticket information available on the website The Château de Bagatelle is a small Neoclassical style château the count of Artois acquired the grounds in the Bois de Boulogne He had a bet with Marie-Antoinette that he could build a castle there in two months The building is open on certain days for guided tours only best buys and family finance tips delivered straight to your inbox A post shared by Paris for Dreamers (@parisfordreamers) The Château de Rambouillet is situated in the Île-de-France region in northern France After the death of Francis I of France who died at the castle in 1547 some of French history's greatest figures lived there France's Presidents transformed the grounds into a prestigious hunting estate It was used as the summer residence of the Presidents of the French Republic from 1896 until 2009 and is now managed by the Centre des monuments nationaux. A post shared by Julien Barreau (@jubarreau) The Château de Fontainebleau became the Imperial palace after the Revolution still bearing the mark of the renovations made by Napoleon I - it is home to the only Napoleonic Throne room still in existence Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette stayed at the castle on the eve of the French Revolution creating spaces to get away Versailles and what was happening outside of the walls The Château de Fontainebleau is available for tours and other activities A post shared by Château de Fontainebleau (@chateaufontainebleau) The Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte is The largest private estate listed as a Historical Monument in France four families owned the castle in succession Many events are held at the castle throughout the year candlelit evenings – these see the castle and gardens lit up by 2000 candles - water shows A post shared by Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte (@chateauvlv) with The Chateau de Lesigny being an active filming location for over 30 years A post shared by Chateau de Lesigny (@chateaudelesigny) The world renowned Avenue des Champs-Élysées is an avenue in the 8th arrondissement of Paris The avenue is 1.2 miles long and 230 feet wide running between the Place de la Concorde and the Place Charles de Gaulle to the Arc de Triomphe the area is commonly regarded as one of the most beautiful avenues in the world A post shared by ChampsElysees_Paris (@champselysees_paris) There are eight episodes in the Marie Antoinette series The story picks up when Antoinette is forced to leave Austria to marry the Dauphin. The synopsis reads: "She must produce an heir to secure the alliance between France and Austria but she’s as unprepared for her job as her awkward teenage husband How will this free spirit react to Versailles with its ridiculous rules of etiquette individuality and self-determination beyond her times Marie Antoinette morphs into a teenage rebel determined to rebuild the dark and manipulative world of Versailles in her own image." Speaking to Variety writer and executive producer Deborah Davis spoke about writing the character of Marie Antoinette and I loved being with her all the way through her battles Marie-Antoinette comes from a very long line of extremely strong-willed There has currently been no announcement about a second series of Marie Antoinette reviews have been favourable meaning that if there's any further story to tell Emine Saner from The Guardian was very enthused with the series grotesque in places … this drama from the writer of the Olivia Colman movie portrays the French queen as a naive and playful teenager – and it’s hugely entertaining" Dan Einav from the Financial Times added "So while the show may take some creative licence and imaginative leaps it does so in the hope of reclaiming her humanity and giving texture and agency to a woman who was not only a notorious materialist but was treated as a commodity herself." you do just have to roll with some of the outlandishness in certain power dynamics and characters *cough* Du Barry *cough* but I had a blast watching this It's different to your typical period drama without being so heightened and removed from reality it feels like ‘The Great' (which I adore) Schule is so engaging and interesting as the lead and the rest of the cast is full of fresh exciting faces (who I've not seen before at least) especially once they're given time to develop and settle and I really enjoyed watching different pairings play off each other (with lots more potential in a second series) I've seen reviews about the first half being slow but often it really works and helps to establish a certain sense of weight and consequence before the show becomes this playful and entertaining romp - because at that point it's easy to forget how this all ends." If you loved Marie Antoinette you might like period drama Hotel Portofino multi-award nominated writer and blogger with six years’ of experience writing about parenting Lucy has contributed content to PopSugar and moms.com she has transformed her passion for streaming countless hours of television into specialising in entertainment writing There is now nothing she loves more than watching the best shows on television and sharing why you - and your kids - should watch them Please contact our support team for further assistance *If you’re the owner of this website and have questions Filming locations for BBC Two’s raunchy French period dramaThe BBC drama - famed for its steamy sex scenes - returned for its third and final season SEX and seduction recently returned as the historical romp Versailles came back for one final series The BBC drama lifts the lid on the fascinating and scandalous life of King Louis XIV with sensational filming backdrops to each scene Versailles is a BBC Two period drama set in the steamy court of Louis XIV The show premiered in May 2016 in Britain and the latest series began on Monday The first season of the drama was set in France in 1667 as nobles start to rebel against the 28-year-old King Louis XIV The first season of the show cost a reported £20 million to make and was a lavish production filled with beautiful costumes and opulent backdrops Many would assume from the show’s name that most of the scenes would be filmed at the Palace of Versailles And this was true of certain scenes that were filmed in the staterooms However a lot of the show was filmed at other nearby locations due to the palace being a huge tourist attraction and because Marie Antoinette changed much of Versailles' 17th century décor Many other castles were used for the filming of the royal court The spectacular gardens are located in the grounds of Chateau Champs-sur-Marne The stunning property was built at the start of the 18th century at the request of Louis XIV's financier It was built as a residence of leisure in the countryside and with its breathtaking gardens it's clear to see why you’d want to use the home as a retreat Lésigny is a castle in France located 12 miles outside of Paris It is used in the BBC production for scenes of the lower nobles and their living quarters The producers selected the smaller castle as they wanted to contrast the rich elite in the show who resided in the stunning Palace of Versailles This stunning palace was built by Louis XIV's Minister of Finance He constructed the residence and invited the monarch over for a party but Louis was so jealous of the home he put Nicolas in jail He then employed Nicolas’ gardener and ordered an architect to start work on Versailles It is located 30 miles southeast of Paris in Seine-et-Marne This impressive home was built 30 years before Louis’ moved his court to Versailles It was chosen as it features exquisite ballrooms which were used for party scenes in the BBC show Keen-eyed fans may also be able to spot a white staircase in the period drama that is located at Maisons-Laffitte Fans can visit the home which is also located outside of Paris Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/ News | Sep 11 Patricia Hill of Aspen announce the engagement of their daughter Jean-Claude and Veronique Millecamps of Lesigny Sabrina attended Aspen Montessori and Aspen public schools and is a graduate of Colorado Rocky Mountain School in Carbondale She attended the University of Washington in Seattle graduating with degrees in both International Relations and the Comparative History of Ideas and then earned an M.A and Management at the School for International Training in Brattleboro worked and competed as an athlete all over the world for several years most recently residing in New York City where she worked for several international cultural organizations She is currently working for UNESCO in Paris Sebastien attended French schools and the University of Paris where he studied Political Communication He then obtained a diploma in Dramatic Arts from the National Conservatory of France Sebastien lived on Reunion Island for seven years where he was Director of the Regional Consul for Communication and he currently has his own consulting company in Paris which provides communication training to media corporations and governments all over Europe Sebastien and Sabrina met on top of a volcano in Bali in 2003 and plan to be married on the top of Aspen Mountain on Aug They are currently residing in Paris in the historic Montmarte district Readers around Aspen and Snowmass Village make the Aspen Times’ work possible Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage are you considering any property transactions this spring View Results Historical dramas are incredibly popular these days, and the PBS series Marie Antoinette is currently taking center stage Created and written by Deborah Davis, the fan-favorite show explores the life of Marie Antoinette the last queen of France before the French Revolution who was just 14 when she became the Dauphine of France after marrying the heir to the throne This captivating drama is winning over audiences with its remarkably authentic costumes many fans are dying to know: Where was Marie Antoinette filmed The production team shot at several iconic French palaces and estates that were closely tied to the life of the real Marie Antoinette In addition to these historic sites, Marie Antoinette was also filmed at the Bry-sur-Marne studios in France. Production designer Pierre Queffelean previously revealed to Variety that the set construction took about two and a half months to complete Since many of the castles used for filming are private residences the team had to carefully reconstruct rooms and corridors to authentically reflect the 18th-century atmosphere Pierre Queffelean specifically noted that the Palace of Versailles which is one of the most iconic locations in the show looked very different during the 18th century While the palace is now known for its immaculate white walls and vibrant gold accents but you have to think that back at that time there were between 2,500 and 3,000 people who lived there constantly," he explained the production team recreated the small apartments where Marie Antoinette sought privacy as well as the secret corridors that Louis XVI had built inside Versailles so he could visit the queen without being seen by guards or servants We can only imagine how incredible it would be to see these intimate Though most of the show was filmed on set, director Pete Travis emphasized to Variety how seamlessly the real locations and sets blend together He explained how difficult it would be for viewers "to tell the difference between the real places and the sets," adding that "they're lit the same "That's what we really wanted to do," he told the outlet Catch new episodes of Marie Antoinette on Sundays at 10 p.m Details on 'The White Lotus' Season 4 Release Date and Filming Location Why Did They Kill off Nikki Batista on the Fox Series ‘Alert: Missing Persons Unit?’ Carver Is Coming Back to 'Chicago Fire' — Here's When You Can Expect His Return! Link to X Link to Instagram Contact us by Email Opt-out of personalized ads People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website Offers may be subject to change without notice.