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Origin and history

The castle of the Court, originally called La Quanterie or Canterie, is a seigneurial fief mentioned in 1410 under the name Capellania de la Cantière. Located 1,200 metres east of the village of Fromentières, it became the main mansion of the parish around 1450, distinct from the seigneurie des Puisiers. The archives reveal fairytales stretching over several nearby parishes, including Laval, but their exact origin remains unknown to Abbé Angot, who assumes an ancient split between the fiefs.

The building of the castle is attributed to Mathurin de Montalais. His wife, Anne Le Voyer, died in 1633 after family conflicts related to contracted debts. In 1795, the property belonged to Louise-Françoise d'Héliand and his daughter Amédée Pouteau. During the Revolution, the Republicans carried out searches there: in October 1795, they seized hidden wine and cider; In December, the arrest of two trusted men was triggered by the discovery of a rifle decorated with a Heart of Jesus.

Architecturally, the castle is distinguished by its partially preserved moat, its corner towers and a pointed roof tower. Its large windows and its three Louis XV frontons, including a headphones illuminating the stairs, give it a unique character. The chapel, dedicated to Saint Marguerite before 1410, was rebuilt in 1770 with a transept and three altars. It houses a relic of the True Cross, transferred in 1809 to the parish church, before falling into ruins.

The archives mention tragic accidents, such as drowning a poor man in the moat in January 1674. The estate includes several lands (the Buharet, the Poitevinière) and a chapel generating 600 to 700 pounds of annual income in 1778. The parish registers and notes of Abbé Angot, based on sources such as the Departmental Archives of Mayenne or the Chartrier of the Abbey of Bellebranche, document its history until the 19th century.

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