You can buy an abandoned French castle attacked by the Nazis for $75

Anyone with aspirations of becoming king or queen of the castle should heed the call of a French campaign looking for people to become part owners of a remarkable 15th century chateau for just $75.

Chateau le Paluel in Perigord in the Dordogne region has been seized by the state after concerns that the impressive building was falling into a state of irreversible disrepair. The owner, understood to be a Monaco-based company managed by an Englishman, has until September 21 to pledge to save the castle before the authorities auction it off.

Adopte un Chateau, the crowdfunding operation looking to raise €500,000 (£462,000) to take ownership of the chateau and restore it to its former glories, is asking interested parties to buy shares starting from just €50. If successful, all contributors will become "owners" of the building. As of Wednesday morning, nearly 850 people had raised €62,000. All funds will be returned should the campaign not reach its target by the deadline.

"Our conception is to say that a monument in peril is a monument that must have a collective destiny," said Adopte un Chateau, which is working to save a number of similar historic buildings around France.

"We believe in collective power and we want you, the future owners, to decide collectively and democratically on the future of the castle.

"Artist residency? An innovative and popular cultural site? We want the castle to become a symbol of collective, creative expression, and of course directed towards preserving and spreading heritage and culture."

The organisation says that the cost of purchasing the castle is €250,000, with the remainder of the money being put towards restoration costs.

The chateau, which is classified as a historical monument, includes eight bedrooms, stables, a windmill, a pool, a dovecote and the surrounding woods and meadows. It became derelict after being attacked by the Nazis in the Second World War.