An important collection of correspondence between Jacques Chirac and René Ballarin, former owner of the Château de Bity, tracing the negotiations and then the purchase of the Château de Bity by the Chirac couple in 1969.
3.500€
Jacques Chirac (1932-)
An important collection of correspondence between Jacques Chirac and René Ballarin, former owner of the Château de Bity, tracing the negotiations and then the purchase of the Château de Bity by the Chirac couple in 1969.
The set consists of:
– Four autograph letters signed by Jacques Chirac to Ballarin. Three letters in quarto format on letterhead from the Ministry of Economy and Finance (autograph envelopes for each) and one letter in octavo format. That makes seven handwritten pages in total.
– A letter signed by Jacques Chirac to Ballarin dated October 2, 1969.
– An autographed card from Chirac to Ballarin.
– Three telegrams from Chirac to Ballarin.
– About ten autograph letters signed by Ballarin to Chirac.
– Eight silver gelatin photographs depicting views of the Castle.
– An original drawing depicting the main facade of the castle.
– A copy of the deed of sale signed in March 1969.
– Various plans, drawings and documents in addition.
“I continued to look at available properties in Haute Corrèze, not to find anything else since we are in discussions, but to confirm the prices. Indeed, while I don't want to pay more than the usual market prices, I also don't want to be accused of having made a 'bargain'. This overview, which led me to discover a number of properties I didn't know were for sale, confirmed the very reasonable nature of my offer, and I honestly don't think that, barring an extraordinary stroke of luck, you could find anything better .”
On January 31, 1969, Ballarin gave his agreement to Chirac:
"I have the advantage for you, and the regret for me, of confirming that I am selling you Bity for the price you offered me."
On February 4th, Chirac was in Ballarin:
" I am indeed pleased that we can reach an agreement on this transaction. I have therefore asked Maitre Cogneras, a notary in Meymac, to prepare the documents for the sale on my behalf, and he will contact you."
The Château de Bity, located in Sarrans in Corrèze, 10 kilometers east of Tulle, is owned by Mr. and Mrs. Jacques Chirac.
According to a persistent rumor, Leon Trotsky stayed there from July 1933 to June 1935, hosted by a former British army colonel, member of Her Majesty's secret services and archaeologist, William-Noël Lucas-Shadwelll, who owned it at the time.
The Château de Bity was purchased on March 3, 1969, by the Chirac couple. This was the choice of Bernadette Chirac and her father, Jean-Louis Chodron de Courcel, after months of searching and despite Jacques Chirac's lukewarm enthusiasm for this aristocratic residence. The latter, then Secretary of State in the Couve de Murville government, had it listed as a Historical Monument by decree of April 3, 1969, which subsequently allowed for its restoration with the benefit of state subsidies. On this subject, Georges Pompidou remarked to Chirac: "When you claim to be involved in politics, you make sure you don't own a château, unless it has been in the family since at least the reign of Louis XV."