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Origin and history

Montesson Castle, located 800 metres west of the town of Bais in Mayenne, has its origins in a seigneurial house attested as early as 1415 under the name of Montouesson. Over the centuries, the estate evolved: in 1586, René de Montesson obtained permission from Henry III to strengthen the castle, digging moats and erecting a square pavilion flanked by round turrets, as well as a double drawbridge. This castle, decorated with modillons and roofs with tormented shapes (one in countercurves and a turret in strangled bell), illustrates the military architecture of the late sixteenth century. The horizontal murderers reinforce the defence of the main access, while the old medieval house, redesigned, remains inhabited until the 17th century.

During the 17th century, the castle retained its residential role, although the layout seemed limited. In 1660 Charles de Montesson, Marquis, was the owner. An inventory of 1765 describes a body of modest houses (cave, kitchen, chapel, stables) surrounded by gardens lined with walls and ditches (one in water, the other dry), as well as a paved driveway leading to the village. The estate, estimated at only £5,050 in 1778, compared with 39,000 for the estate, shows a relative depreciation. The castle was also reportedly occupied by royal troops during the religious unrest of the late 16th century, as evidenced by a reference to 1597 exempting the inhabitants of Le Mans from the price of wheat seized on the spot.

The family of Montesson, owner for centuries, finally ceded the castle for lack of means. In 1775, Alexis-Bruno de Vasse-Montesson inherited before a national sale in 1799 (27 fructidor an VII). The estate then returned to René-Charles de Montesson, Marquis and heir to the younger branch. At the beginning of the 20th century, the castle houses the last members of the Little Church, a dissident religious movement. Filed with the additional inventory of Historic Monuments in 1996, it now preserves its Renaissance chestnut, its moats, and remains of the fortified enclosure, including the braided towers and stone bridges.

The history of the castle is inseparable from its seigneurial lineage, from Jean de Montesson (married in 1370) to Jean-Baptiste de Montesson (1687–169), husband of Charlotte Jeanne Béraud de The Hague de Riou, mistress of Louis-Philippe d'Orléans. The archives also mention conflicts, such as that between Raoul Hubert de Montesson and Pierre de Bouillé in 1490. The building, marked by phases of decline (s successive sales, occupation by private individuals), remains a rare example of hybrid architecture, mixing medieval, Renaissance and 17th century.

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