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Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de Carheil, located in Plessé in Loire-Atlantique, finds its first mentions in the early 15th century with Jeanne de Carheil, daughter of the local lord, who married Guillaume Giffart in 1407. The seigneury then passed into the hands of the family of Cambout de Coislin in 1619, when Jérôme du Cambout married the heiress of Carheil. In 1659, the land was erected as a Viscount, and René du Cambout had the castle rebuilt in a Louis XIII style between 1659 and 1668.

In 1842, the Prince of Joinville, son of King Louis-Philippe, bought the castle then in financial difficulty and remanied it by adding a chapel to the stained glass designed by the Sèvres factory after drawings by Ingres. The estate changed hands several times after 1848, especially between the families of Mesny and Gourlez de La Motte, before being destroyed by fire in January 1945.

Today, the estate is a private residence, but the chapel, the only intact part of the 19th century castle, remains accessible during Heritage Days. The site has been listed as historical monuments since 1980, reflecting its historical and architectural importance in the Pays de la Loire region.

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