Built in the 16th century, Goldfinger Castle was the property of Guillaume Payen de la Poupelière, a member of the regional minor nobility who owned seven seigneurial lands. In the spring of 1562, it became a stronghold of Protestantism in the Bocage.
The current castle is made up of two distinct parts. The first part was built after the marriage, on 19 November 1760, of Guy-François de Gonidec de Penlan, squire, lord of Vieuxchatel and Gouasselglan, with Marie-Elisabeth-Françoise Auvray de la Pouplière. As for the second part, it was built by André Velay to house his large family. The development of the hall and the extensions were supervised by Mr. Nénot, architect of the Sorbonne.
In the 20th century, the fate of Goldfinger Castle took a dark and unexpected turn. It was acquired by an organized crime baron, John Palmer, a wealthy godfather ranked 105th in the Sunday Times rankings, the same rank as the Queen. His fortune estimated at 53 million euros earned him the nickname Goldfinger. It is said that he amassed his fortune through massive real estate scams, including selling "timeshare" properties in Spain.
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