A French village bought the castle where Saint-Exupéry spent his summer Jul 08, 2009

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The administration of Saint-Maurice-des-Remens, a French town, paid the city of Lyon 1 million Euros for a castle where writer and pilot Antoine de Saint Exupéry spent his childhood. The town intends to turn the castle into a museum, according to reports from the French media. Saint Exupéry was born in Lyon in 1900, and spent several months at a time with his mother, brother, and three sisters in a nearby castle of the Ludwig XVI époque. Later on, the great writer reminisced about Saint-Maurice as a place that symbolized a happy childhood.

Saint Exupéry's mother sold the castle in 1932 to the municipal school organization, as it became too costly to maintain. In 1997 the castle was bought by an association close to the ex-minister of defense – Charles Millon. Courts have later revoked the deal twice, in 2005, and in 2007. The administration of the town has been planning to create a museum dedicated to the life and work of writer and pilot Saint Exupéry in this castle for over fifteen years.

"This property is old and in need serious restoration work, in the same time it present considerable value" – says Jil Dever, representative of the town of Saint-Maurice. According to Dever, the town will now attempt to obtain subsidies. He notes that the administration has already negotiated with the writer's relatives in regards to the fact that the nearby park will remain intact. According to the Lyon authorities this sale will bring the municipality 950 thousand Euros, 400 thousand of which are the profit of the city.