At just 22 years old, Édouard Guyot made an extraordinary decision that would define his life's work: purchasing the abandoned Château de Vaux in Champagne. A decade later, his remarkable restoration efforts have been recognized with the prestigious Grand Dassault History and Heritage Trophy, organized by the Mérimée Foundation, Le Figaro Magazine, and Propriétés Le Figaro.
Eleven years have passed since that pivotal moment, yet Édouard Guyot remembers his first visit to the Château de Vaux in Champagne as if it were yesterday. Located in Fouchères in the Aube department, this vast 18th-century residence sits hidden in the heart of the 3,000-hectare Chaource forest massif. The architectural gem, designed by Germain Boffrand, architect to the Duke of Lorraine and the Crown, was on the market when Guyot first encountered it.
"I arrived at the back of the château through its immense English-style park," Guyot recalls. "I immediately fell in love with the Regency architecture of Vaux, the elegance and perfect symmetry of its façades, and that majestic 2.7-kilometer-long avenue connecting the château to the outside world - the road from Troyes to Dijon." The beauty of the site, with its omnipresent vegetation, was enchanting. "I instantly felt the desire to dedicate my life to saving this forgotten masterpiece of heritage."
At the time of his first visit, Édouard Guyot was only 21 years old, yet he was already deeply passionate about historic architecture. His love for old stones had developed from a very young age, and this encounter with the château would prove to be the beginning of an extraordinary restoration journey that has now earned him one of France's most prestigious heritage awards.
The Grand Dassault History and Heritage Trophy represents the culmination of ten years of meticulous restoration work. Guyot's dedication to preserving this remarkable 18th-century edifice demonstrates the kind of passionate commitment that heritage conservation requires. His transformation of the abandoned château into a restored masterpiece serves as an inspiration for other young preservationists and highlights the importance of maintaining France's architectural treasures for future generations.
