Touring the MOST EXPENSIVE HOUSE in the World | Normandy, France

Touring the MOST EXPENSIVE HOUSE in the World | Normandy, France
Quizzed ESL Activities

Chateau Du Chant Summary

Located in Normandy, France, Chateau Du Chant is one of the most expensive homes in the world, with a history dating back to 1652. The estate spans over 300 acres of land and features six main structures, including the main chateau, gardens, Greek Theater, and greenhouse.

Features and Design

  • The chateau was originally designed by Royal architect Lou Lavo and served as a prototype for the Palace of Versailles.
  • The estate features colossal formal gardens that were recreated from original 17th-century design plans, covering 45 acres.
  • The gardens include a 550-meter-long canal, elaborate fountains, and intricate geometrical patterns.
  • The estate also features a Greek Theater, an Indian Palace, and a recently built grotto with a waterfall and volcanic lava rock.

Interior and Artifacts

  • The chateau is filled with priceless art, including pieces gifted to Napoleon and an actual human mummy from Egypt.
  • The estate boasts 40 bedrooms, five living rooms, and two dining rooms, with an unknown square footage.
  • The interior is decorated in a 17th-century French style, with lavish furnishings and artwork covering every available space.
  • Notable rooms include a formal living room, a pool hall with Louis XIV’s original pool table, and a library with over 20,000 rare books.

Other Features and Secrets

  • The estate has multiple hidden doors, secret passageways, and rooms, including a game room with an ostrich skeleton and a “dead zoo” with taxidermied animals.
  • The chateau features a chapel that serves as a proper church within the estate, as well as a subterranean area with a kitchen and wine storage room.
Term Definition Example Usage
Prototype A first or early model of something, used as a basis for later versions. The chateau was originally designed by Royal architect Lou Lavo and served as a prototype for the Palace of Versailles.
Geometrical Relating to or characterized by the use of geometric shapes and patterns. The gardens include intricate geometrical patterns, adding to their beauty and complexity.
Lavish Extremely luxurious or extravagant. The interior is decorated in a 17th-century French style, with lavish furnishings and artwork covering every available space.
Subterranean Located or occurring beneath the surface of the earth. The chateau features a subterranean area with a kitchen and wine storage room.
Taxidermied Preserved and mounted in a lifelike pose. The chateau features a “dead zoo” with taxidermied animals, including an ostrich skeleton.
Colossal Extremely large or impressive. The estate features colossal formal gardens that were recreated from original 17th-century design plans.
Elaborate Complex or detailed in design or planning. The gardens include elaborate fountains, adding to their beauty and grandeur.
Rare Not common or usual; scarce. The library contains over 20,000 rare books, making it a valuable resource.
Extravagant Extremely luxurious or wasteful. The estate’s features, including the Greek Theater and Indian Palace, are extravagant and impressive.
Priceless Extremely valuable or precious. The chateau is filled with priceless art, including pieces gifted to Napoleon and an actual human mummy from Egypt.

Chateau Du Chant Vocabulary Quiz

Test your knowledge of vocabulary related to Chateau Du Chant.

1. What does the word “colossal” mean in the context of the formal gardens?

A) Extremely small and intricate
B) Extremely large and impressive
C) Moderately sized and average
D) Unusually shaped and asymmetrical

2. What is the meaning of the word “elaborate” in the context of the fountains?

A) Simple and plain
B) Highly complex and ornate
C) Moderately detailed and average
D) Unusually small and discreet

3. What does the word “intricate” mean in the context of the geometrical patterns?

A) Simple and straightforward
B) Highly complex and detailed
C) Moderately complex and average
D) Unusually large and bold

4. What is the meaning of the word “lavish” in the context of the furnishings and artwork?

A) Extremely plain and simple
B) Highly luxurious and extravagant
C) Moderately decorated and average
D) Unusually minimalistic and sparse

5. What does the word “subterranean” mean in the context of the kitchen and wine storage room?

A) Located above ground level
B) Located on the surface of the ground
C) Located below ground level
D) Located at a moderate elevation

Answer Key:

1. B) Extremely large and impressive
2. B) Highly complex and ornate
3. B) Highly complex and detailed
4. B) Highly luxurious and extravagant
5. C) Located below ground level

 

Using the Past Perfect Tense to Describe Completed Actions in the Past

 

The past perfect tense is used to describe an action that occurred before another action in the past. It is often used to show cause and effect, or to indicate that one action was completed before another action started. The past perfect tense is formed using the auxiliary verb ‘had’ + the past participle of the main verb. For example: “The chateau was originally designed by Royal architect Lou Lavo and served as a prototype for the Palace of Versailles.” Here, ‘was designed’ is in the passive voice and ‘had been designed’ could be used in the past perfect tense to emphasize that the design was completed before it served as a prototype.

Quiz: Using the Past Perfect Tense

  1. By the time the Palace of Versailles was built, the chateau _______________________ by Royal architect Lou Lavo.
    1. had been designed
    2. was designed
    3. is designed
    4. has been designed
  2. The estate features colossal formal gardens that _______________________ from original 17th-century design plans.
    1. were recreated
    2. had been recreated
    3. are recreated
    4. have been recreated
  3. By the time Napoleon received the art pieces, they _______________________ for years.
    1. had been gifted
    2. were gifted
    3. are gifted
    4. have been gifted
  4. The chateau _______________________ in a 17th-century French style, with lavish furnishings and artwork covering every available space.
    1. had been decorated
    2. was decorated
    3. is decorated
    4. has been decorated
  5. By the time the estate was sold, the chapel _______________________ as a proper church within the estate.
    1. had been used
    2. was used
    3. is used
    4. has been used

Answer Key

  1. A
  2. A
  3. A
  4. B
  5. A

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