Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de Vaulogé, located in Fercé-sur-Sarthe in the department of Sarthe (Pays de la Loire), is a building whose oldest parts date back to the 15th century. Its major transformations took place in the sixteenth, seventeenth (4th quarter) and nineteenth (2nd quarter), reflecting architectural and functional adaptations over nearly four centuries. The estate includes a former home with a carved fireplace dated 1514, as well as moat and vestiges of medieval enclosure. These elements, combined with chapels and agricultural buildings, testify to its evolution from a fortress to a seigneurial residence and then a private place of life.

The Saint-Roch chapel, built in the 16th and 17th centuries and restored in 1691 by René Deshayes, occupies a central place in the history of the estate. In the 18th and 19th centuries, it became a place of devotion against epidemics, especially plague, illustrating the spiritual and social role of castles at that time. The chapel Saint-Henri, built in 1832, completes this religious ensemble. The castle, inscribed in the historical monuments on 23 June 1992, also retains traces of its defensive past, such as the prison pavilion and a fortified gate, as well as utility buildings (remises, stables, mill) protected by the registration order.

Today, Vaulogé Castle belongs to a private company and is not open for public visit, except for five guest rooms and a reception room. Its inscription covers most of the built elements, with the exception of the north wing built in 1831 by Delarue. The moat, partially filled, and the enclosure walls recall its medieval origin, while the chapels and house reflect the additions of modern times. The site, although closed, remains a representative example of the Sarthian castral architecture, combining residential, religious and agricultural functions.

External links