In pictures: Living the dream — commoners buy fairytale French castle

A view shows the Chateau de La Mothe Chandeniers at Les Trois-Moutiers, France. The chateau, a romantic ruin from the 13th century originally, standing on an island, has become a beloved place for its 25,000 co-owners, seduced by the elegant building ravaged by fire in 1932 and left to nature ever since, giving them the feeling of being a true "French chatelain".

Willy Nanlohij, a 62-year-old retired bank worker, and his wife Hilda, two of the 25,000 co-owners of the Chateau de La Mothe Chandeniers. For most of the year, Nanlohij lives with his wife Hilda in a comfortable yet unremarkable home in the Dutch city of Enschede. But on Saturday night, the couple were trying out their new status as owners of a fairytale French chateau that dates back to the thirteenth century, and comes with turrets, a clock-tower and a moat.

"It was a childhood dream," Nanlohij said. Surveying his property, his wife at his side, he added: "I feel something in my belly, excitement." Their dream comes with a few caveats: they share ownership with 25,000 people who joined an innovative crowd-funding campaign (minimum contribution 50 euros), and the chateau is an uninhabitable ruin. | Above: A view shows the Chateau de La Mothe Chandeniers at Les Trois-Moutiers.

But none of that diluted the romance for Nanlohij when he joined 350 of those co-owners for a pre-Christmas party in the grounds, to get a taste of what it feels like to join the ranks of French chateau owners. | Above: A view shows the Chapel during the Christmas party organised at the Chateau de La Mothe Chandeniers.

As a little boy, I was fascinated by chateaux so today, to become a co-owner, is extraordinary," he said as guests gathered around a Christmas tree in the shadow of the ruined building, shared gifts, and drank mulled wine. | Above: Co-owners attend the Christmas party organised at the Chateau de La Mothe Chandeniers.

French co-owners and volunteers collect dead leaves as they prepare the Christmas party at the Chateau de La Mothe Chandeniers at Les Trois-Moutiers. The chateau, 300 km (185 miles) south-west of Paris, is steeped in a history of wealth and privilege.

Built in the 13th century, Mothe Chandeniers was captured by English invaders in the Middle Ages. In 1654, Marquis Francois II transformed it into a lavish home with gardens and parks. | Above: Co-owners Ghislaine Gerbaud, Gilles Raab and Maurice Bedon pose during the Christmas party organised at the Chateau.

Paris entrepreneur Francois Hennecart took the Chateau over in 1809 and restored it, and Baron Edgard Lejeune and his wife Marie Ardoin later transformed it into a neo-gothic structure. But in 1932, fire destroyed the interior and the roof. Since then, the chateau has stood abandoned with trees growing inside it. | Above: A view shows the Chateau de La Mothe Chandeniers at Les Trois-Moutiers.

The grand staircase is seen inside the Chateau de La Mothe Chandeniers, at Les Trois-Moutiers, France. The crowd-funding initiative, launched in 2017 by a French company that aims to use new funding models to preserve historical monuments, raised 1.6 million euros, from 25,000 people in 115 countries, including Cuba and Burkina Faso.

A French co-owner prepares the Christmas party at the Chateau de La Mothe Chandeniers at Les Trois-Moutiers, France

Suzanne and Robert Powell from UK, two of the 25 000 co-owners of the Chateau de La Mothe Chandeniers, pose at their home ahead of a Christmas party at the castle, in Loudun, France

A view shows a road sign at the Chateau de La Mothe Chandeniers, at Les Trois-Moutiers, France

A view shows the Chateau de La Mothe Chandeniers at Les Trois-Moutiers.

Co-owners watch fireworks during the Christmas party at the Chateau de La Mothe Chandeniers in Les Trois-Moutiers

French co-owners and volunteers installs the Christmas tree for the Christmas party at the Chateau de La Mothe Chandeniers at Les Trois-Moutiers

A view shows a worker at the Chateau de La Mothe Chandeniers at Les Trois-Moutiers, France

Co-owners attend the Christmas party organised at the Chateau de La Mothe-Chandeniers in Les Trois-Moutiers

A view shows the Chateau de La Mothe Chandeniers at Les Trois-Moutiers, France

Co-owner and volunteer Jeanine distributes gifts during the Christmas party organised at the Chateau de La Mothe Chandeniers in Les Trois-Moutiers

Pigeons fly over the Chateau de La Mothe Chandeniers at Les Trois-Moutiers, France

A view shows the Chateau de La Mothe Chandeniers at Les Trois-Moutiers, France

Co-owners visit the Chateau de La Mothe Chandeniers before the Christmas party at Les Trois-Moutiers in the Nouvelle Aquitaine region, France

A view shows the sunrise inside Chateau de La Mothe Chandeniers, at Les Trois-Moutiers in the Nouvelle Aquitaine region, France

A view shows the Chateau de La Mothe Chandeniers, at Les Trois-Moutiers in the Nouvelle Aquitaine region, France