Antoni Calmon
1985-2026
Antoni Calmon owned the Château de Dampierre, in the Aube department of northeastern France, from 2021 until his death. A physician with a deep love of architecture, art and interiors, he devoted himself to saving and restoring this historic estate, and shared the work as it happened on YouTube. He died on March 13, 2026, at the age of 40.
Dampierre is where Antoni Calmon gave shape to his passion for heritage. In 2021, he bought the château at auction, as the only bidder, and quickly launched a vast project to restore it and bring it back to life.
Born in Perpignan, in southern France, the son of a farmer, Antoni Calmon had long been drawn to architecture, classical art and interior design. As a child, he was already sketching plans for his future château. Dampierre turned that passion into a real project: bringing the estate back step by step, while respecting its history and character.
The project is considerable and was planned over many years. It covers the buildings, the interiors and the grounds. Over time, some rooms got back their decor and new spaces were restored, while a large part of the work still lies ahead.
Antoni Calmon also chose to open this adventure to a wide audience. Our first episode with him, recorded before the restoration began, drew more than 3 million views across the French and English So Châteaux channels. He then launched his own YouTube channel devoted to the Château de Dampierre, produced by So Châteaux, which grew to more than 60,000 subscribers. There he shared each stage of the restoration, the discoveries made along the way and the day-to-day realities of caring for a house of this kind.
These videos also reveal his personality. Smiling and enthusiastic, he talked about the château simply, explaining his choices and sharing his love for the place, its history and its decor. He never called himself the lord of the manor, only "a homeowner."
An aesthete devoted to heritage
The Dampierre project reflects Antoni Calmon's eye for beauty and his attention to detail. Furniture, works of art, architecture and decoration all played a central role in his approach to the château.
His goal was not only to restore a private home. He opened the château to visitors at set times of the year, and worked to share its history and give it a place in the life of the village.
His death brought many tributes to a man remembered as warm, generous and passionate. Those who knew him often speak of his smile, his kindness and his enthusiasm.
A physician between Paris and London
Alongside his work at Dampierre, Antoni Calmon practiced as a physician specializing in aesthetic medicine, in Paris and London.
For him, medicine and heritage were two sides of the same interest in beauty, proportion and harmony.
Antoni Calmon died on March 13, 2026, at the age of 40.
At Dampierre, he leaves behind a major body of restoration work, carried out in the last years of his life. Beyond the work itself, the many videos he chose to share keep alive the memory of his commitment to the château and the passion with which he brought it to life.
A street in the village now bears his name.
Dampierre goes on sale
On November 2, 2026, in an exclusive video for So Châteaux, his sister Magali Calmon announced that the Château de Dampierre is for sale. The family first hoped to keep it, but the cost of the inheritance and the scale of the restoration still ahead made that impossible. Antoni himself had told her that, if anything happened to him, the château should be sold. Her hope is that Dampierre will find an owner who sees it through her brother's eyes and carries on its story.
