Paris chateau becomes the most expensive property in the world

The Chateau Louis XIV was completed in 2011 but bares all the hallmarks, furniture and decor of an opulent 17th Century estate.

Located between Versailles and Marly-le-Roi on 57 acres of lush, walled off greenery, its sale price eclipsed that of the previous record holder - a $221million (£147million) London penthouse.

Two people close to the sale said the mansion was sold to a Middle Eastern buyer, in a deal brokered by Christie’s International Real Estate, Bloomberg revealed today. 

The property boasts a lavish ballroom, underground nightclub, a cavernous wine cellar, a squash court, home cinema and an underwater room complete with fishes swimming inside the transparent walls.

It is finished with stunning gold features, marble floors and intricate murals akin to Michelangelo's masterpiece in the Sistine Chapel.

Marble was used to create the delicate marquetry for the floors, mosaics for the garden, bathroom tiles and even a statue of former French monarch Louis XIV, or Louis the Great, who ruled the country for a record 72 years. 

Every corner of the mansion, nestled in an authentic green setting, is consistent with the standards of 17th Century luxury.

From the flower beds with embroidered box hedges to the yew trees trimmed into small pyramids and the grand staircase, the chateau, renovated by Saudi businessman, screams French opulence.

Reality TV star Kim, who has now been married to rapper Kanye West since May 2014, had scouted the estate as a possible wedding venue a month earlier.

She enjoyed a luxurious shopping spree in Paris, browsing the wears of Givenchy, Balmain, and Lanvin, before she was guided around the Chateau Louis XIV.

The couple ended up marrying at the Forte di Belvedere - a 16th Century fortress - in Florence, Italy.

They are said to have dished out more than $320,000 to hire the fort as the venue of their lavish, celebrity packed wedding on May 24, 2014.

The original property which was replaced by the Chateau Louis XIV, as it stands, consisted of several, disparate plots of farmland and chestnut groves.

These plots were cleared in the 18th Century by a royal regiment tasked with excavating it. It was during this time that Louis XIV decided to build a palace in Marly-le-Roi, a place where he could retreat to.

In 1888, the owner at the time, Charles-Emile Clerc, demolished the buildings which had stood largely unchanged since Louis' rule - and subsequent death in 1715. 

Finally, in 2008, Emad Khashoggi decided to undertake an unprecedented project. Inspired by 17th Century architecture, he restored the property to its noble heritage. 

(dailymail.co.uk)