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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The château de la Groirie, located in Trrange in the Sarthe (formerly the historical region of Maine), is an estate formed in the seventeenth century by the family of La Rivière. Léonor de La Rivière stayed there regularly as early as 1652, and the site included a house body, a chapel, a leak, communes and gardens. A sundial, mentioned in 1652 in a poetic account, also adorns the domain. This monument illustrates the classical architecture of the mancelle region, with facades rhythmic by regular spans and side pavilions.

In the 18th century, the estate was inherited by Alexandre Paul Louis François de Sanson de Lorchère. An expertise of 1765 details its organization: a 104-foot house body, a 87-foot wing housing kitchens and offices, and a second 154-foot wing with orangery, stables and dairy. The original chapel, dated from the 17th century, was replaced between 1730 and 1740 by the present building. These transformations reflect the changing needs and aristocratic taste of the time.

In the 19th and 20th centuries, the Groirie belonged successively to the families of Grandval and Bayard de La Deuxtrie. Under the latter, the estate was listed in the Supplementary Inventory of Historic Monuments on 3 May 1974. The sundial, an emblematic element of the park, was sold in the 1990s by the Bayard family and acquired by the Sarthe county council. It is now located in the park of the Abbey of the Epau.

The castle changed hands again in 2006, when the Durand family became its owner. The Commission undertakes an active policy of safeguarding and valuing the site, including restoration of buildings and partial public opening. The east wing, formerly dedicated to orangery and stables, now houses an event venue contributing to the preservation of the estate.

The architecture of the castle is distinguished by its rectangular plan flanked by pavilions, its classic facades and its outbuildings organized around a courtyard. The 18th century chapel, circular escape and 19th century landscape park complete this ensemble. Since 1974, the castle, its communes, chapel and dovecote have enjoyed protection as historical monuments, highlighting their heritage value.

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