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Origin and history

The Château de Montsûrs, located on natural escarpments reinforced by moat fed by the Jouanne and Vesnard, was one of the ten chestnuts in Laval County. Its remains, still visible in the 19th century, suggest a circuit of 12 to 1,500 meters, flanked by towers, bastions, and protected by a drawbridge. He was the home of Bertrand du Guesclin after his marriage to Jeanne de Laval in 1374, where he resided outside wartimes and organized marriage alliances, such as that of his niece Marie d'Orange.

In 1292 André de Laval received Montsûrs en parage and founded four chapelies there. The castle became a strategic issue during the Hundred Years' War: in 1429, the English, led by the Earl of Arundel, stormed him, looted him and burned him before abandoning him, as part of their occupation of Laval County until 1449. Louis XI briefly passed there in 1472 during his conflict with John II of Valois, without stopping there.

In the 19th century, five towers and remains of the castle remained. Today, only two towers remain standing: the tower of the Fuie and the Renaise tower (known as Paradise in Biques), the latter being classified as a historical monument since 1925. The rest was destroyed between 1833 and 1855 to build the parish church of Montsûrs. The site preserves the memory of André de Lohéac, a companion of Jeanne d'Arc, born between his walls.

The castle illustrates the turbulent history of the region, marked by feudal conflicts and rivalries between the kingdoms of France and England. Its defensive architecture, adapted to natural escarpments, reflects its strategic importance for the seigneurs of Laval, while at the same time testifying to the destruction suffered over the centuries.

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