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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Baugé Castle, located in the medieval city of Baugé-en-Anjou, finds its origins in the 11th century with Foulques III Nerra, Count of Anjou, who erected a defensive fortress on a rocky spur. This strategic site, at the confluence of Couasnon and Altrée, aimed to counter the attacks of Count Blois, his rival. The remains of this first construction mark the beginning of a military and seigneurial occupation of the place.

In the 15th century, during the Hundred Years War, Yolande d'Aragon, the mother of René d'Anjou, began the construction of a castle inside the fortified enclosure. In 1421, the Battle of Baugé contrasted Charles VII's Franco-Scottish troops with the English, marking a French victory. However, in 1436, Yolande d'Aragon preferred to burn his castle rather than see it fall into enemy hands, leaving symbolic ruins.

In 1454, after the end of the Hundred Years' War, René I d'Anjou inherited the ruins and built there a hunting lodge between 1455 and 1465, under the direction of architect Guillaume Robin. This seigneurial manor house, completed in 1465, becomes a luxurious reception place, decorated with armorial vault keys and a unique palm arch staircase in Anjou. The castle then illustrates the patronage and taste for the arts of the 'good King René', passionate about chivalry and courteous love.

After René's death in 1480, the castle was attached to the crown by Louis XI and gradually became obsolete. In the 19th century, it was divided between the gendarmerie (eastern wing) and the town hall (western wing). In the 20th century, it successively housed a fire station, municipal halls and a museum opened in 1905. Post-Second World War restorations, including sill windows, preserve its historic character.

Today, Baugé Castle has been listed as a historic monument since 1961 for its facades, stair turret, roofs and several interior elements, including King René's oratory and attic rooms. It offers an immersive view of the life of René d'Anjou and houses reconstructions of medieval furniture, such as the duke's private room. Its walls of limestone and sandstone, covered with a lime coating, bear witness to the construction techniques of the time.

In popular culture, Alexandre Dumas places in La Dame de Monsoreau a scene of imprisonment at the "Château de Beaugé", describing him as a fortress. This literary reference, albeit an architectural one, reinforces the romantic aura of the monument, linked to the tumultuous history of Anjou and the emblematic figure of René I.

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