When a Franco-Lebanese duo revives the fortress of Philip III

For decorators Joe Ashkar and Michel Charrière and the new owners, the choice of this monument was no coincidence. "Michel is originally from Auvergne. As a young boy, he visited the castle with his grandmother and retained a wonderful memory of it. He then wanted to show it to me," said Ashkar during his recent visit to Lebanon. "It was a real coup de coeur that sparked the negotiations with the owners." "Our conditions were to acquire it with its archives, the hundreds of hectares of forest surrounding it, and the furniture — or what was left of it, as the owners had sold a lot. But it was not only a fascination for the architecture of the building; the landscape played a big role. It overlooks the Limagne plain and offers a breathtaking view of the Puys mountain range, a UNESCO World Heritage site....