601 Bellevue Ave, Newport, RI 02840

One of the last grand houses to be built during the Gilded Age, Champ Soleil is a stunning 17-century French Chateau sited on famed Bellevue Avenue. Built by Polhemus & Coffin in 1929, the home was commissioned for the Drexels, one of America's wealthiest families and founders of modern-day JP Morgan. Set behind gold gilded-edge, wrought iron gates lays this magnificent estate spanning over 5.5 acres. The main house includes an 11-bedroom residence, a 3-car garage, a Greenhouse and features interiors designed by Maison Jansen of Paris, best known for decorating the White House during the Kennedy era. Host to America's Cup dinners and dazzling galas, the elegant ball room is adjacent a formal dining room adorned with a spectacular Neo-Baroque chandelier and opens to a sunlit terrace. The Library, built of Louis XV pine panels, was imported from France and reassembled at great expense. Additional offerings include a chef's kitchen, a massage parlor and a 3000 sq ft theatre room offer. Idyllic Umberto Innocenti designed grounds, feature fragrant rose gardens, colossal copper beech trees, a swimming pool and one of the finest croquet courts in the country. One of only 9 intact Newport estates, property includes the original gate, and carriage houses. The piece de resistance Champ Soleil has the latest in green design and technology including 26 internet-controlled zones for heating and cooling efficiency, state-of-the-art security, fire protection, and audio/visual system.