Castle of Wonders

IN THE FRENCH COUNTRYSIDE, AN ARTIST CREATES AN ORIGINAL SETTING IN AN OLD BUILDING, FEATURING COLLECTIONS OF NATURALIA AND MIRABILIA. A Wunderkammer is a chamber of wonders, but in this case it is multiplied, taking on the dimension of a building. A French château in which every room becomes a constant source of astonishment. It resembles an outlandish film set, with grand Baroque mirrors and gilded fireplaces like theatrical masks, rare collections of naturalia, thick carpets enhanced by 18th-century decorations, crystal chandeliers, trophy tigers guarding cabinets inlaid with precious stones. The creator of this eccentric and eclectic montage of inventions and styles is Pierre Peyrolle, a visionary artist fascinated by the musical aspects of architecture and the flair of outlandish theater, whose works bring to mind the fantasies of Salvador Dalí, his ideal mentor. «Dalí is the reference point», Peyrolle says. «Since childhood I have been a great admirer of his work. My painting is more metaphysical, but he was my first great influence, and I was lucky enough to make his acquaintance on many occasions». The taste for mental landscapes with conceptual overtones is clearly evident in the paintings of Peyrolle (presently preparing an exhibition for the MAXXI museum in Rome), and it is also perceptible in the spaces of this château. The building is from the 16th century and is owned by a businessman who has collected works by the artist for over twenty years, and decided to call him in for the interior design, granting him complete freedom in the choice of details, furnishings and art. «At first, when the building was empty, he asked me to set up a space in the spirit of my painting, and that of the Kunstkammer, the classics cabinet de curiosités», Peyrolle continues. «With the owner, I began to search for unusual objects for that room. Then the project expanded, and in five years the château has filled up with rarities of all kinds. We began with naturalia, and then I suggested the purchase of various precious things to convey an idea of sophisticated eclecticism. There is a room of coral, another of minerals, another with birds of all types. The collections are housed in about ten rooms. In certain spaces there has been an approach of restyling: the upper level contained rooms with big fireplaces and very thick walls, which have been partially demolished». The refined staging is governed not by a spirit of scientific rigor, but by confident taste that takes its cue from art, cinema, theater.