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Origin and history

The seigneurial house of Viaulnay, located 3 km east of Ligné-sur-Mayenne (Mayenne), is a medieval fief dependent on the Maroutière. Its origin dates back to the 15th century, but the current mansion dates back to 1575, replacing an earlier construction. The estate then included lands, a mill, ponds and vineyards, as well as seigneurial rights such as tithes and cens. The moat enclosure, always visible, bears witness to its defensive and residential character.

The Notre-Dame-de-Pitié chapel, founded before 1561 by François Mauguy to plead for his healing of the gout, houses a realistic Pietà dated 1530-1550 and painted panels depicting biblical scenes. These panels, dismantled in 1923 and preserved at the Musée de Laval and then in Torcé-Viviers-en-Charnie, were restored and resettled in 2014. The Pietà, transferred to Brittany before being returned in 2014, was restored in 2023. The chapel, classified as a Historic Monument in 1996, has benefited from works since 1989.

The house belonged to several noble families, including the Mauguy (XV-12th centuries), the Scépeaux, and the Quatrebarbes from 1606. Lancelot de Quatrebarbes, who died in the house in 1610, and his descendants lived there until the 18th century. In 1787, the estate was sold to M. de Charnacé for 100,000 pounds, marking the end of his seigneurial occupation. The archives mention local conflicts, such as a protest in 1626 for a bench in the church.

The murals of the chapel, rediscovered under a badigeon, date from the beginning of the sixteenth century. They were exhibited in Paris in 1895 and in Saint-Louis (United States) in 1904, illustrating their artistic value. The house, inscribed in the Historical Monuments in 1991, retains architectural elements of the 15th and 16th centuries, although its residential use declined after the Revolution.

Historical sources, including the departmental archives of the Mayenne and the works of Abbé Angot (1900-1910), document the evolution of the fief, its lords and the transformations of the building. Cassini's map designates him as Le Vionet, while parish registers and notarial acts trace his occupation and his pious bequests, such as those related to the chapel.

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