Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Gonnord Castle, located in Chemillé-en-Anjou (formerly Valanjou), has its origins in the 11th century, but it was looted and destroyed during the Hundred Years War. Reconstructed from the 15th century with imposing towers, it became a place of power for noble families such as the Bellay and the Cossé-Brissac.

In the 16th century, the castle was once again ravaged by the wars of religion, then rebuilt in the Italian Renaissance style by Artus de Cossé-Brissac in 1575. The latter set up a courtyard with arcades decorated with the family motto "With time...". The site welcomed royal figures such as Charles IX (1565), the Duke of Anjou (1580) and Henry IV (1589).

The Vendée wars sealed its decline: the castle was burned twice and was not rebuilt. In the 19th century, it was reduced to ruins, only the southern facade of which remained. In the 20th century, the town bought the remains, rehabilitated the roof and set up a fort ball game and a park with pond. Ranked a historic monument in 1926, it now bears witness to a heritage both medieval and reborn.

The estate was managed for a long time by the Dudoyer family, hereditary tax collectors, including Jean Peltier Dudoyer, a Norwegian shipowner linked to Beaumarchais. Their role illustrates the economic and administrative importance of the castle until its fall.

Today's remains, including a theatre and a pond, remind of its history. Despite the successive destructions, the site preserves remarkable architectural elements, such as the arcades of the courtyard and the southern facade, symbols of its double medieval and reborn identity.

External links