The Nicolas Chenivesse Collection | Château de Charmes

«Nicolas Chenivesse a redonné vie à Charmes et composé un intérieur à son image, où meubles, tableaux, objets d’art et objets de famille trouvent naturellement leur place.
Nous sommes heureux de participer aujourd’hui à l’histoire de ce château en accompagnant la transmission de cette collection.»

Marie de Calbiac, Responsable Régions

A Thousand Years of History, from the Medieval Keep to the

Charmes is best experienced from its rocky promontory, where the castle suddenly looms into view in the Drôme landscape, with that sense of permanence characteristic of structures that time seems to have placed there forever. The history of the Château de Charmes begins in 990. A Benedictine monk from the Abbey Saint-Bernard in Romans-sur-Isère erected a wooden tower on this castle mound to watch over the Herbasse Valley, the Pilat, and the Vercors mountain range. In the 11th century, the current keep, the “châtelard,” replaced it. A residential wing was added in the 13th century, transforming the tower into a true fortified castle.
The 17th century brought a touch of elegance: Jacques Coste de Simiane, a friend of Nicolas Fouquet, transformed the fortress into a pleasure palace. A century later, the Béranger du Gua family, to which Nicolas Chenivesse was related, took over until the Revolution. In the 19th century, followers of Viollet-le-Duc reinterpreted certain decorative elements. A native of Charmes, the postman Cheval drew inspiration from the playground of his childhood.

Nicolas Chenivesse, owner and restorer of the Château de Charmes

When Nicolas Chenivesse first stepped through its doors in 2017, Charmes was a house in need of saving. Neglected and ransacked for twenty years, the château had suffered greatly from the elements and vandalism. Yet this champion of heritage undertook to restore it, without a single grant. He rebuilt its walls, gradually restored its proportions and original functions, and, above all, breathed new life into it. Thus began a second chapter, that of the interior.
As the rooms regain their character, furniture, paintings, and works of art come to fill them. Nicolas does not seek to recreate a particular era: he blends styles with the freedom that comes from the confidence of his vision. Attentive to the affinities between the works, he curates a collection in his own image, where each piece engages in a dialogue with the others. His greatest achievement is having imbued Charmes with a sense of time, without historical decor or pastiche, by bringing together family heirlooms and works selected over the course of his discoveries, until everything seems to have found its rightful place. For collecting is also a way of living: choosing, pairing, rearranging.
And nothing is ever set in stone. From one visit to the next, a painting has moved to a different wall, an armchair has been moved closer to another window, a console table now holds a new object, and the flowers in the vases change with the seasons. Charmes is a living home, inhabited by a collection that is just as alive.

The only inhabited, furnished castle in the Drôme region that is open to the public, it welcomes 15,000 visitors a year. Called to other projects, its owner is now parting ways with the historic landmark he brought back to life.

Auction Details

On Saturday, October 10, 2026, Aguttes will auction this collection on-site, in the heart of the château. 446 lots, estimated between €5 and €8,000, ranging from accessible pieces to collectible works. From enthusiasts to the simply curious, everyone is welcome to participate, and each lot will take home a piece of this heritage adventure.

The day is divided into two parts:

Starting at 9 a.m., the house’s inventory, household items, and “regular sale” lots are offered starting at 5 €.

Starting at 2 p.m., Claude Aguttes, the company’s founder, will auction off the main lots in the order of the castle’s rooms:

• - The Garden

• - The Entrance Hall

• - The Kitchen

• - The Dining Room

• - The Grand Salon

• - The Small Salon

• - The Vestibule & Staircase

• - The Drawing Room

• - The Boudoir

• - The Gallery

• - The Chapel & Sacristy.

A third installment will follow on October 28, 2026, at Aguttes in Neuilly-sur-Seine: the château’s wine cellar, comprising nearly 300 bottles, will be included in a “Wines & Spirits” auction.

Private Collections: With Charmes, the department is turning a new page

Guiding works of art as they transition from one story to another: that is the mission of our Private Collections department. Each collection is approached in the spirit of the person who assembled it, with personalized and confidential service from appraisal through authentication to sale. Aguttes has already conducted major auctions, such as the Randier Collection or the watch collection offered at the “A History of Time” auction, and many others.
With “Charmes,” an entire château is consigning its collection, within the very walls where it was assembled.

Informations pratiques

Enchères
Samedi 10 octobre 2026

Matin : 9h - 13h
Fonds de maison, lots 1 à 219

Après-midi : 14h - 18h
Vente collection, lots de 220 à 446