Saving Belebat
—The Foundation—
Created in 2024 as a non-profit organization, Saving Belebat is dedicated to raising funds for the restoration of this long-abandoned Renaissance château for this and future generations. In the cold depths of January 2003, a devastating, fire spreading from the monumental fireplace in the grand salon, stole more than four hundred years of history. The old, dilapidated building stood forsaken and vulnerable for fifteen long years before we become Belebat’s proud guardians for the 21st century. We started the restoration in 2017 and a great deal has been accomplished. But there is still so much to do. . . and now we need your help.
The Caretakers
We are Jeff and Oscar, and with our three boys, Roman, Leighton and JJ, we moved to Belebat in the summer of 2017. While waiting for the old Gatehouse to be renovated so we could live in it, we camped for three months in the one building that, at that time, had a roof that leaked the least and a door that closed. It was without electricity, running water or a toilet.
Since that time, we have been able to restore and renovate five of the many outbuildings that envelop the Château, turning them into stunning vacation rental homes. We dedicate 100 percent of the profits from those rentals to the restoration effort. Sadly, however, it’s just not enough.
There is so much more to do and so much of it is urgent — which is why we need your help Saving Belebat.
The Pilgrim’s Room
The circular roof is riddled with holes and water is leaking in, damaging the only ceiling that remains after the fire. Your help would restore this beautiful 16th-century ceiling and save its glorious original frescoes.
The Château’s Bell Tower
The wood holding the 17th-century Bell Tower and roof is dry and deteriorating and in desperate need of intervention. Please help us protect this magnificent Tower by preventing its collapse.
Outbuildings
The roof of the Château was beautifully restored after the fire; however, many of the outbuilding’s roofs have been untouched for more than a hundred years and are require immediate attention to prevent their collapse. Your gift today lets us replace rotting timbers and broken roof tiles in order to protect these structures from the damaging elements.
The Hunting Lodge
This magnificent building, often mistaken for a church, has a sordid history. When the Nazis occupied France, they seized Belebat and built a local command center on top of the 16th-century cellar. The weight of the new structure is too much for this 400-year-old building and the ceiling is collapsing. Engineers have assessed the damage and concluded that in order to save the Lodge, we need to lift the new structure off the old and create a new foundation, thus eliminating the excessive pressure on the cellar.
A Renaissance Carcass
After the five-day-long fire in 2003, Belebat was left exposed —with no doors, no windows and with the naked Château’s interior stone walls cracked and weakened. Your help will let us repair a great many holes pierced in the limestone walls to ensure the building’s stability.
Today most of the windows and two doors have been built and installed. However, Belebat still needs four more doors — including the two grand main doors — and five more windows. Your generous help will let us finish sealing the shell, keeping the Château safe from the wind and rain.
The Stolen Fireplaces
After the 2003 fire, the Château was looted. Among the stolen items were its extraordinary Renaissance fireplaces. Your gift will help us find and replace these historic fireplaces.
THANK YOU!
