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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Sablé Castle, located in Sablé-sur-Sarthe in the Sarthe department, has its origins in the 10th century with the construction of a castle by Hugues III of Maine, Count of Maine. This first building, now reduced to remains, was strategically placed between the Sarthe and the Vaige. In the 12th century, the castle was subdued to Geoffroy de Sablé, from the family of the Viscounts of Maine, then by alliance to the lords of Craon, of which Robert II founded the House of Craon-Sablé. The feudal conflicts and successions marked his history, notably with the sale of the baronie to Louis I of Anjou in 1371, and his integration with the possessions of the Dukes of Orleans and Anjou, including King René.

In the 15th century, the castle played a military role during the Hundred Years War, defended by figures such as Gilles de Rais and Jean de Beaumanoir against the English. After successive hand changes between the families of Armagnac, Lorraine-Guise and Laval-Bois-Dauphin, the castle was completely rebuilt between 1715 and 1750 by Jean-Baptiste Colbert de Torcy, Marquis de Sablé, in a classical style. The architect Desgots then designed a square house body with turrets and a French-style park, partially redesigned in the 19th century.

In the 18th century, the castle passed into the hands of influential families like the Servians and the Colberts, before being acquired in 1864 by the family of Albert de Luynes. Interior modifications, including painted decorations and a marble staircase, were made around 1870 by Georges Lafenestre and Carrier-Belleuse. In the 20th century, the castle became a field hospital during the First World War, then a chicory factory until 1962. Since 1980, it has housed a technical centre of the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF), dedicated to the restoration and preservation of documents, classified as a historical monument in 1983.

The architecture of the castle combines medieval elements, such as a dungeon and a 13th or 14th century enclosure, with classical additions of the 18th century, including a body of house with carved pediment. The park, initially a regular garden with basin, was transformed into a landscaped garden in the late 19th century. Today, the castle combines historical heritage and cultural mission, as a major site for the preservation of French written heritage.

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