Updated at 12:00 p.m.
If we had to summarize the history of this castle house, it would look something like this. Once upon a time there was a Montrealer who loved a woman from L'Assomption. One day he said to her: “My love, we will build there, right in front of your parents' chalet.” I have the plan in my head. » This is how this magnificent residence was built in the Bas-de-L'Assomption region in 1974 of the last century, where they lived happily and had two children.
“When I left Santa Cabrini Hospital after I was born in 1975, I came straight here, to this house,” says David-Alexandre Coiteux, the couple’s youngest son. The house had also just been built, after two years of work under the direction of his father Robert Coiteux, who also designed the plans.
This was another facet of his father's talents, who was above all a “tank man”. Robert Coiteux had been a racing driver before he hung up his helmet after his own father's death to take over the company he had founded in 1945, Coiteux Automobiles, Avenue Papineau. The beautiful cars from British Leyland (Triumph, Rover, Mini Cooper…), we found them there in the 1960s and 1970s. Robert, who had studied in England “to learn English” and had traveled quite extensively in many countries. Other European countries were fascinated by castles. Therefore, he was inspired to design the house where he would live with his lover Pierrette Vanier and their children.
The means of his ambitions
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
The residence features a tower that has piqued the curiosity of many over the years.
Stone imported from Indiana and Israel, Italian marble, oak doors, finely carved porcelain and copper handles, sinks decorated with delicate flowers… The man did not skimp on the means to realize his project and give it splendor. He enlisted the services of craftsmen, including an Italian who painted the coffered ceilings in the dining room, created faux ornaments elsewhere in the house, and created a large painting depicting the eldest son in an epic scene. Little Jean-Sébastien was not yet 2 years old, but the painter drew him as if he were 6. “At 6, my brother looked the way he looked in the painting,” David-Alexandre is still surprised.
Outside, the landscaping elegantly matches the typical architecture of the house.
But be careful: here the castle ghost is not an artifice for passers-by; It is also important when you enter the house.
The vaulted ceilings in the entrance and living room give the impression of being in another century, on another continent. However, here we are, about forty minutes from Montreal and two or three kilometers from Highway 40, which we can see from afar but cannot hear. And the house offers all modern comforts.
Such a residence in the municipality of L'Assomption caused a lot of sensation, recognizes David-Alexandre, who remembers that there were newspaper articles about the “Castle of the East”. It was a normal house for him and his brother who grew up there, but people's reactions made them aware of its specialness. “The young people wanted to know what was in the tower. Wedding couples often came by and had their photo taken with their parade of honor in front of the house…”
Much love
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
View of the property and its grounds
Robert Coiteux loved this house very much, which he had designed to his own taste, and, according to his son, never thought of moving. He cared for it carefully, but aside from the kitchen, which was renovated three times, and the garage, which was converted into a movie theater, little had changed in 50 years. The furnishings in several rooms are original, as is the carpet that runs along the stairs and bedroom corridor. The one in the master bedroom was replaced a while ago. At one point on the carpet, the couple's initials are intricately engraved into the wool.
Robert Coiteux died on January 9, 2023, four years after his wife. He was 77 years old, still living in his home in L'Assomption and still running the Hyundai car dealership on Papineau Avenue, of which he had become the first dealer in Canada. “He did his chemotherapy in the morning and went to work in the afternoon,” says David-Alexandre.
The castle house is therefore the subject of an inheritance sale. The two sons lived elsewhere than in L'Assomption. David-Alexandre, who works in the cinema, travels regularly between Montreal and Los Angeles, while Jean-Sébastien manages the car dealership in Montreal. Nevertheless, the connection to the house L'Assomption is very present.
“It’s difficult to sell,” David-Alexandre admits with emotion. There was so much love and so many memories here. If you want to do a real test, empty your parents' house and go through all the memories…”
The story of this home is not over yet, but it is up to the next owner to write a new chapter. Castles are known to have a long lifespan.
The property in brief
Asking price: $1,795,000
Municipal assessment: $526,000
Date of construction: 1974
Description: Stone house whose architecture is inspired by medieval castles while offering modern comfort. Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, cinema room, finished basement.
Land area: 44,444 sq. ft
Local taxes: $4729
School tax: $462
Agents: Liza Kaufman and Alfee Kaufman, Sotheby's