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Origin and history

The castle of Mayenne found its origins in the 9th century as a Carolingian stone residence, built under Charles le Simple on a rocky spur overlooking the Mayenne River. This palace, exceptionally preserved on three levels, symbolized the frank power against the Bretons and Normans. The materials come in part from the abandoned Roman fortress of Jublains, marking a political and architectural transfer.

In the 11th century, the castle became a local seigneury held by the barons of Mayenne, which strengthened it after the Norman invasions. Fired in 1063 during the conquest of Maine by William the Conqueror, it was rebuilt and enlarged in the 12th century with a circular dungeon and ramparts. In the 13th century, he lost his residential role to become a garrison, then underwent English occupation during the Hundred Years War (1361–1448).

The castle was transformed into a prison in the 18th century and was partially dismantled in 1665 and 1695, before being bought by the city of Mayenne in 1936. Excavations from 1993 revealed rare Carolingian structures, including brick arches, classifying the site as a national interest. Since 2008, it has housed a museum dedicated to medieval archaeology and local history, integrated into the network of Countries of Art and History.

Strategically located at the steps of Brittany, the castle controlled a major road between Maine and Brittany, just 18 km from Normandy. Its architecture thus combines defensive elements (douves, towers, cannon guns added in the 16th century) and Carolingian civilian remains, unique in Europe. The discovery of these structures made it possible to date precisely its foundation around the year 900, upsetting the initial assumptions of a medieval origin.

The site, registered with the Historical Monuments in 1927, illustrates almost a thousand years of military and political history, from Carolingians to the wars of Religion. Charles II of Lorraine, Duke of Mayenne and leader of the Catholic League, was the last influential lord before his submission to Henry IV in 1595. Today, the museum presents collections from the excavations, highlighting daily life and seigneurial power between the eighth and seventeenth centuries.

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