Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

Neuville Castle is a building located in Saint-Sulpice, in the department of Mayenne, in the Pays de la Loire region. It is located on the right bank of the Mayenne River, a strategic location that has fostered its development throughout the centuries. The site was mentioned in 1367 as Neuville's fence, and in 1444 as a road linking Neuville station to Château-Gontier. These first written references highlight its seniority and integration into a local network of ways and seigneurial lands.

The castle was originally a fief dependent on the Rongere seigneury. Neolithic artifacts, including three axes discovered in the Mayenne bed, attest to a very ancient human occupation in this territory. In the 14th century, vines were already cultivated there, an activity confirmed by their presence on a map of 1706. The Neuville mill, exchanged between Pierre de Quatrebarbes and Guillaume Coubin, remained the property of the Rongere lords until the 20th century, illustrating the sustainability of local feudal structures.

A gabelle post was established at the port of Neuville in 1681, demonstrating its role in the fiscal control of goods transiting through the river. The ferry that allowed the crossing was abolished in 1887, marking the end of an era for local exchanges. In 1851, Louis de Cheffontaines had the castle rebuilt and dedicated a chapel to the Blessed Virgin, although the latter was later abandoned. These transformations reflect the architectural and religious evolutions of the 19th century.

The chapel of Neuville had several phases: a first, founded by Pierre Arnoul (curé de Bazouges then de Denazé, died in 1665), disappeared without trace. One second, dedicated to Saint Gilles, was blessed in 1768 thanks to Gilles Marais, principal of the Collège de Château-Gontier. This chapel housed notable works of art, like two angels carved by the father of David Dangers, saved from destruction during the reconstruction of the Saint-Rémy church in Château-Gontier. These artistic elements highlight the cultural links between Neuville and neighbouring urban centres.

The archives also mention various economic activities, such as viticulture and river trade, as well as infrastructure such as mill and port. These elements reveal the importance of the castle as a seigneurial and economic pole in the region, from the Middle Ages to the modern era. The written sources, such as the Chartrier de la Rongere or the Posters of Angers (1781), provide valuable details of its administrative and social history.

External links