Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Museum of the Castle of Mayenne originated in the archaeological excavations carried out in 1856 at the ford Saint-Léonard, where more than 26,000 Roman coins of the first century were discovered. These artifacts, originally exhibited at the city hall and then at a school, formed the core of the collections. The museum closed in 1975 due to disinterest in its objects, with the exception of Roman coins. His renaissance began in 1993, when Carolingian archatures were discovered during work in the house of the castle, triggering extensive excavations.

Between 1996 and 2000, an Anglo-French team, led by Robert Early (Oxford Archaeological Unit) and supported by the University of Maine, conducted two excavation campaigns in the castle and its upper courtyard. This research revealed remarkable Carolingian architecture and exceptional archaeological furniture: play pieces (including a rare trictrac apron), medieval ceramics, military objects, and locks. The site was declared of national interest in 1995, and the museum project, led by Jacques Naveau (departmental curator), culminated in the opening of the museum in 2008.

The castle of Mayenne, mentioned as early as 778 under Charlemagne, was initially a wooden frontier palace replaced by a stone fortress in the ninth century under Charles le Chauve. In the 11th century, Geoffroi de Mayenne took over and strengthened him in the face of the conflicts with Normandy. In the 13th century, it became a royal fortress under Philippe-Auguste, with a lower courtyard and defensive towers. It was transformed into a prison from 1674 to 1936 and housed prisoners in buildings enlarged in the 19th century. The excavations of the 1990s restored its historical importance, revealing remains ranging from the Carolingian era to the Renaissance.

Today, the museum presents its collections in two poles: local archaeological discoveries (currency, games, ceramics, armament) in the medieval home, and medieval departmental collections in the former women's prison. Interactive devices (blocks, tactile models, audiovisual animations) make the history of the site accessible. Among the flagship pieces are a folding spur unique in France, 37 medieval chess pieces, and a polychrome altarpiece. The castle, owned by the city since 1936, thus combines built heritage and objects bearing witness to the daily, military and religious life of the Middle Ages.

The Country of Art and History Coëvrons-Mayenne has integrated the museum into a territorial dynamic, dispersing departmental collections in several sites. The castle's lower courtyard, renovated, now offers a walking space, while the upper courtyard houses permanent exhibitions. The museum project, completed by Elsa Gauter (programmist) in 2001, was able to reconcile the preservation of remains and modern mediation, making the site a key place to understand the architectural and social evolution of Mayenne from the 9th to the 17th century.

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