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Plessis-Macé Castle

Plessis-Macé Castle

Plessis-Macé Castle, locally known as Château du Plessis-Macé, lies in the village of the same name in the Maine-et-Loire department in France.

The first fortification at this site was a wooden motte-and-bailey castle, erected sometime during the 11th century, probably by a Macé or Mathieu de Plessis or his father. It was probably rebuilt in stone not much later. Around 1300 it passed to the La Haye-Joulain family.

In 1434 Catherine de La Haye-Joulain, wife of Geoffroy de Beaumont, donated the castle to Louis II de Beaumont-Bressuire. Louis was either their son or a cousin of Geoffroy and was a faithful knight and chamberlain of king Louis XI of France. The Hundred Years' War, which ended in 1453, had left the castle partly ruined. Already in 1440 Louis de Beaumont started to rebuilt Plessis-Macé Castle and transformed the stark medieval fortress into a more comfortable castle in Late Gothic style. Later, the Beaumonts hosted the kings Louis XI (1472) and Charles VIII (1487) at the castle.

Through inheritance, Plessis-Macé passed to the Du Bellay family in 1510. The Du Bellays, also high-ranking nobles, hosted King Francis I of France at their castle, in 1532. Because the family fell into financial troubles, they had to sell the castle in 1678. It was then bought by Guillaume Bautru. His descendants sold it, in 1749, to Antoine Walsh, a wealthy Nantes slave trader who came from a family of exiled Irish Jacobites.

The Walsh family then embellished the castle but finally sold it in 1888. By 1908 it had apparently fallen into dilapidation, for it was then acquired for a low price by Charles-Victor Langlois, a historian with a passion for medieval castles. He then spent a large part of his free time restoring Plessis-Macé Castle little by little, within the limits of his means, with the help of his wife and children. His descendants donated the castle to the county council in 1967.

The castle is now ran by the Anjou Théâtre, a cooperative cultural public institution, and is the host of the annual Anjou Festival and other cultural events.

Plessis-Macé Castle can be visited for fee. Inside there is not very much to be seen from its history as most of the interior spaces have been made suitable for cultural events and weddings. Also the interior of the old keep on the motte can not be visited, sadly enough. But you can walk over a part of the old wall-walk. A very nice castle.

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previousnext

Plessis-Macé Castle

Plessis-Macé Castle

Plessis-Macé Castle, locally known as Château du Plessis-Macé, lies in the village of the same name in the Maine-et-Loire department in France.

The first fortification at this site was a wooden motte-and-bailey castle, erected sometime during the 11th century, probably by a Macé or Mathieu de Plessis or his father. It was probably rebuilt in stone not much later. Around 1300 it passed to the La Haye-Joulain family.

In 1434 Catherine de La Haye-Joulain, wife of Geoffroy de Beaumont, donated the castle to Louis II de Beaumont-Bressuire. Louis was either their son or a cousin of Geoffroy and was a faithful knight and chamberlain of king Louis XI of France. The Hundred Years' War, which ended in 1453, had left the castle partly ruined. Already in 1440 Louis de Beaumont started to rebuilt Plessis-Macé Castle and transformed the stark medieval fortress into a more comfortable castle in Late Gothic style. Later, the Beaumonts hosted the kings Louis XI (1472) and Charles VIII (1487) at the castle.

Through inheritance, Plessis-Macé passed to the Du Bellay family in 1510. The Du Bellays, also high-ranking nobles, hosted King Francis I of France at their castle, in 1532. Because the family fell into financial troubles, they had to sell the castle in 1678. It was then bought by Guillaume Bautru. His descendants sold it, in 1749, to Antoine Walsh, a wealthy Nantes slave trader who came from a family of exiled Irish Jacobites.

The Walsh family then embellished the castle but finally sold it in 1888. By 1908 it had apparently fallen into dilapidation, for it was then acquired for a low price by Charles-Victor Langlois, a historian with a passion for medieval castles. He then spent a large part of his free time restoring Plessis-Macé Castle little by little, within the limits of his means, with the help of his wife and children. His descendants donated the castle to the county council in 1967.

The castle is now ran by the Anjou Théâtre, a cooperative cultural public institution, and is the host of the annual Anjou Festival and other cultural events.

Plessis-Macé Castle can be visited for fee. Inside there is not very much to be seen from its history as most of the interior spaces have been made suitable for cultural events and weddings. Also the interior of the old keep on the motte can not be visited, sadly enough. But you can walk over a part of the old wall-walk. A very nice castle.

Gallery

Details
Hits: 651