Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The manor house of Fontenelle, located in Laigné (Mayenne) near Prée-d'Anjou, is a 17th and 18th century building, although some parts, such as a corner tower and a door in the middle of the hangar, date back to the 16th century. Since 1964, it has been listed as a historical monument, with its modern pavilion decorated with Greek columns and a mutilated shield, as well as a courtyard once girded with moat. The chapel, 9 metres long and restored at the end of the 19th century, houses a glass roof commissioned in 1901 by Alexandre Lefas and an ex-voto attributed to Auguste Alleaume. It was founded thanks to income from a house in the town, with holders such as Jean Bigotière (1723) or Jean-Baptiste Bigot.

The mansion was a Laigné dependent fief, marked by events such as the Republican refuge after the fight of 28 August 1799. A notable episode involves Guideaud, says La Décampe, a former caulian who alerted the authorities of Château-Gontier by hiding a message in his hat. The seigneurie passed into the hands of families such as the Guiberts, the Fontenelles (including René, squire in 1619, or Charles-Guillaume de la Corbière, heir in the 18th century), and the Daudiers. The seigneurial chapel even hosted marriages, such as that of André Daudier in 1749.

The interior of the manor reveals a mist of chimney decorated with mouldings and foliage, framing a bust in Louis XIV wig. The successive lords, including Jeanne Laillière (1451) or Renée de la Corbière (1607), marked his history. At the Revolution, Louise-Renée-Ursule de la Corbière was a lady, before the property passed to heirs like Perrine-Madeleine du Hardas or Françoise-Madeleine Le Bel. The Fléchay family later became the owner, perpetuating the link with the former lords.

Historical sources, such as the parish registers of Laigné or Charles Pointeau's manuscripts, underline its local importance. The estate, mentioned on the map of Cassini under the name Fontenel, also includes a chapel founded to maintain a shrine lamp, according to the wish of Madeleine de Fontenelle in 1750. Its inscription in the Historic Monuments covers the house body, the chapel, the southwest tower and the moat, bearing witness to its architectural and memorial heritage.

External links