Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The chapel of the Dukes of Alençon, located in Essay in Orne, is a religious building built in the 12th century and restored in the 15th century. It is part of the remains of a castle originally erected by William I of Bellême, mentioned in 1088 as one of the major fortresses of the House of Bellême. This castle, partially destroyed during the Hundred Years War, was restored in 1489 before finally being dismantled on the order of Henry IV at the end of the Wars of Religion.

The chapel, built in 1166 on the model of the holy royal chapels, had two levels: a high chapel reserved for lords and a low chapel for servants and garrison. It was restored in the 15th century and remains today as one of the few testimonies of this castle, with elements of the enclosure. The facades, roofs and the feudal motte that supports it have been protected as historical monuments since 1975.

The site, probably implanted on an ancient Roman castrum, was profoundly redesigned by Peter II, Count of Alençon, around 1361. After the castle was destroyed, Marie de Medici used her materials to build a prison. Today, the chapel and the remains of the castle, like the enclosure walls, recall this seigneurial and military past.

The location of the chapel, north of the town of Essay, and its architecture reflect its central role in the life of the estate. His two-storey plan, typical of the palatial chapels, illustrates the social hierarchy of the period, where nobility and clergy occupied the upper spaces, while servants and soldiers used the lower levels.

External links