The Castle of the Fougis is a private property that has been owned and managed by the Family of the german artist Erich Engelbrecht since 2001. The family lives there permanently.
The property consists of
- A 16th century castle built of red and black brick and representative of the traditional architectural styles of the Allier region
- Within the castle, single-family homes, art galleries, courtyards, and gardens – amoungst others “The Wondrous Garden of Eric Engelbrecht” with an outdoor exhibition of 28 huge steel-sculptures.
The majority of Erich Engelbrecht’s artistic works were created at Les Fougis as a part of the principal sculptural project of his later life. The breathtaking works, sculptures towering 10 meters into the air and weighing upwards of 100 tons, are spread throughout the rolling fields of the dream-like property. The monumental steel sculptures surrounding the castle draw the attention and curiosity of people passing by on the pleasant country road.
[spoiler title=”A Setting of Heritage and History” open=”no” style=”default” icon=”arrow”]The park is set in a calculated and aesthetic manner around the 16th century castle. The castle serves as a beautiful backdrop for the sculptures and offers a visit to a site of historic and cultural heritage to all. The sculptural works related to medieval fantasy tales for a coherent whole within the surreal castle setting, and give the visitor a rich, dream-like experience. Erich Engelbrecht was fascinated by the calculated, symbolic positioning of his work to make it most impactful to the visiting public; as such, the positioning of the sculptures carries equal weight as a part of his creative process. For this purpose, the artist created a 1.2 km long walk through the park, which has the shape of a giant anchor. This anchor symbolizes our connection in the subconscious and guides the visitor through the sculpture exhibition.[/spoiler]
- You’ll find as well three additional historical houses for guests and the groundskeepers
- A traditional building for public events and receptions hosts inside up to 80 people
- The buildings are surrounded by 138 hectares of farmland, several fish ponds, gravel roads, and walking trails through the forests
