For castle with special history: £17.3m

The Life: It is rumoured to be the resting place of Richard the Lionheart and has allegedly been viewed by Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. But French chateau Montbrun could be yours for £17 million.

Castles across Europe have been home to kings and queens, but few can beat Montbrun's royal claim to fame.

The French chateau is rumoured to be the resting place of Richard the Lionheart - a 12th-century English king who also ruled part of France.

The story goes that the king died 12 days after being wounded during a siege of a nearby castle and is buried somewhere in the 202-hectare grounds of Montbrun.

The sprawling 12th-century castle in south-western France includes 17 bedrooms, a dining hall, a great hall that can seat 100, a dining room and a library.

The castle was restored in the late 1990s with careful consideration to the period in which it was built. But it also contains many modern conveniences, including a conference room fully equipped for digital presentations.

The master bedroom, which has its own bathroom, a jacuzzi and a sauna, also includes an extra-large bed with a built-in flat screen television.

The chateau attracts many tourists and has a functioning tavern, but there are many private areas for family and friends, including a cinema with satellite connection that can stream TV signals from around the world.

At £17.3 million (Dh101m), the chateau is not cheap, but it does offer further money-making opportunities that could help to pay the mortgage.

The present owner has researched the property's commercial prospects with local authorities, according to an online brochure.

"He has found that the region is extremely flexible and open to, virtually, any development that, either way, promotes tourism, creates employment or improves the quality of the site," the brochure says.

Monuments de France, which oversees all recognised monuments in the country, has agreed to the construction of facilities including a country club, tennis courts and a golf resort, provided that any new buildings match the appearance of the chateau, the brochure says.

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