This is a most atypical sale, which will only appeal to heritage lovers. That of two prehistoric sites classified as a UNESCO world heritage site, in Eyzies-de-Tayac, in Dordogne (24): a Cro-Magnon shelter and a Sorcerer’s cave, with cave paintings. “There is no prehistoric site in the world that equals this one for the quantity, quality, and variety of finds.», declares UNESCO about these prehistoric sites. It is here that the discovery of Cro-Magnon man took place on March 23, 1868 in the town of Tayac, attached to the town of Eyzies.
Workers were undertaking work to prepare for the arrival of the railway and discovered bones under a cliff. These were the remains of Cro-Magnon man (“cro” would mean hole in Occitan, echoing the place where he was discovered, and “magnon”, large), today called Homo Sapiens. “It is a unique property in the world. There is only one Cro-Magnon shelter in the world. The advantage of living in this place is that it is world famous», confides Alexandre Denniel, responsible for selling the site.
A tourist operation to make your purchase profitable
A museum was installed on site and inaugurated in 2014 to tell visitors about the discovery in 1868. It consists of a house and a 19th century stone farmhouse. The farmhouse has been completely renovated and the 100 m² house which dates from the 20th century is well preserved. Private parking completes the property. 5 kilometers from the shelter, we can see the Sorcerer’s Cave.
It presents cave paintings of animals: horses, bison… but also of humans including a sorcerer, hence the name of the cave. “Ornate caves are specific in terms of heritage and preservation. They therefore require special attention from the owner to keep the climate of the cave stable (temperature, hygrometry, etc.) in order to preserve a unique and fragile cultural heritage.», Underlines the French Federation of Tourism and Underground Heritage.
Note, the Sorcerer’s Cave generated a turnover linked to visits of approximately 54,000 to 58,000 euros from 2015 to 2017 and 10 to 11,000 euros thanks to the shop. As for the Cro-Magnon shelter, it generated a turnover of visits of approximately 52,000 to 54,000 euros from 2015 to 2017 and 15,000 euros for the shop. Acquiring prehistoric sites is therefore the promise of living in a place steeped in history, profitable thanks to tourist exploitation.
A treasure that has a price since the entire site which extends over 27,300 m² is for sale for 1,600,000 euros. “There is a sort of moral responsibility to keep these places open to the public as there is a museum on each of the two sites. This is not an obligation but the owner and I do not want to sell this place to a person who would not open them to the public», underlines Alexandre Denniel.