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Origin and history

The Château de Carrouges was founded in the 14th century as a strong border between the Duchy of Normandy and the County of Maine. Originally built in height near the church, it was rebuilt in the valley in the middle of the ponds after its destruction during the Hundred Years War. The present dungeon, quadrangular tower-residence with mâchicoulis, dates from this reconstruction initiated by John IV of Carrouges, chamberlain of the Count of Alençon and knight of honour of Charles VI.

In the 15th century, the Blosset family enlarged the castle with a northeast wing and a chapel dedicated to Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Confort. Jean Blosset, a great senechal of Normandy under Louis XI, received the king there in 1473. The castle then passed to the family Le Veneur, which added in the 16th century an entrance châtelet of Louis XII style, work by Cardinal Jean Le Veneur, close to François I and great chaplain of France. The latter played a key role in financing Jacques Cartier's shipments to Canada.

During the Revolution, Alexis Le Veneur, Viscount de Tillières, Mayor of Carrouges and Major General, supported progressive ideas while preserving the domain. The castle remained in the family Le Veneur until 1936, when it was ceded to the state. Ranked a Historical Monument in 1927, it served as a repository for works of art during World War II before being restored. Today, it is distinguished by its architecture combining red bricks and granite, its moats, and its interiors ranging from Gothic to Renaissance.

The castle is surrounded by a park of ten hectares, divided in the seventeenth century into French gardens, orchards and groves. A local legend tells that a Countess of Carrouges, deceived by her husband, stabbed a fairy, triggering a curse on the lineage. The site also houses a collegiate body transformed into the headquarters of Normandy-Maine Regional Natural Park. The interiors conserve decorations from the 15th to the 18th centuries, including a Louis XI bedroom, a Renaissance lounge and an 18th century party room.

Among the remarkable elements are the 14th century dungeon, the Blosset wing with its hexagonal tower of the Chartrier, and two monumental stairs completed in 1579. The 18th-century kitchens, still equipped with copper furniture, and the old woodwork and parquet apartments (such as the "Hungarian peak parquet") illustrate aristocratic life. The castle, open to the public, hosts cultural events and remains a major testimony of the Norman heritage, combining military history, residential architecture and local legends.

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