At Vaux-le-Vicomte, an extraordinary Christmas is being prepared. As the largest privately owned listed historic monument in France, the château welcomes 330,000 visitors a year and employs 75 permanent staff. But to keep this heritage estate running, owned by the de Vogüé family since 1875, an annual budget of €6 million is required.
The survival of the estate now depends on the success of the 20th edition of its Christmas “Fééries”: monumental decorations created by major brands, dazzling illuminations, an ice rink, façade projection mapping, and a bustling kitchen.
At the helm of the château are three brothers: Ascanio, in charge of finances, dividing his time between Paris and the estate; and twins Alexandre and Jean-Charles, based on site and responsible for events.
Around them, a young and high-pressure team is hard at work: Bastien, a new technical installer tasked with complex setups including a suspended Christmas tree; Élisabeth, the operations manager, who must install an ice rink while protecting the gardens and coordinate the monumental mapping; chef Grégory Marihno, who must produce 10,000 shortbread biscuits; and Alex, the local ranger, deployed to prevent wild boars and deer from damaging the decorations.