A FORGOTTEN fortune of castles, palaces, jewels and art has resurfaced in the courts, nearly two centuries after it was amassed.
Two women, one living in Mallorca, the other in Switzerland, say they are rightful heirs to the legacy of Esteban Desclaux, a Frenchman who made his wealth in the 1800s.
The pair have turned to high-profile lawyer Fernando Osuna, known for taking on complex inheritance cases, to fight their corner.
According to Osuna, the women have gathered genealogical records and family trees proving their descent from Desclaux, who married a woman from Menorca and later built his fortune through maritime trade.
Among the properties they hope to recover are castles in Monaco, grand palaces, country estates and a trove of artworks and jewellery.
It’s not going to be straightforward. Many of Desclaux’s direct heirs either renounced their claims or died without children, leaving the family tree tangled and incomplete.
The first step for the legal team will be to trace old wills, check property registries and find out who currently controls the assets. Only then can the claimants hope to secure their share of what’s described as an “immense patrimony.”
This is not the first time the inheritance has caused a stir. Back in 1961, Mallorcan newspapers reported on two families who also claimed to be universal heirs of the “fabulous fortune of the Caballero Desclaux.”
That dispute fizzled out, but now, more than 60 years later, the mystery fortune is once again making headlines, proving that some treasures never quite disappear.
Click here to read more Spain News from The Olive Press.
