Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de la Baronnière, located in La Chapelle-Saint-Florent en Maine-et-Loire, finds its origins in the 15th century with the Froger family. The estate then passed into the hands of the La Roche in 1580, then to the Bonchamps in 1636 by marriage. At that time, the castle, built at the end of the seventeenth century, was a modest but picturesque mansion surrounded by agricultural land and forests. It is characterized by pointed roof towers and corbelled turrets, with interiors richly decorated with woodwork and mythological tapestries. The chapel, blessed in 1734, completes the seigneurial ensemble.

In 1793, during the Vendée wars, the castle was set on fire by the Republican troops after Charles de Bonchamps, heir to the estate, joined the insurgents. Only a pavilion with a square tower remains after the fire. The estate, which was put on sale in 1800, was bought in 1801 by Jean-Joseph Arnous-Rivière, who began his reconstruction. It restores outbuildings and creates a vegetable garden, while preserving some remains such as the fountain and a fish pit dating back to the 16th century.

In the mid-19th century, Jules-Armand Arnous-Rivière, heir to the estate, built between 1852 and 1856 a new castle in the Gothic style troubadour, designed by architect René Hodé. He also erected a neo-Gothic chapel in 1848, incorporating the ruins of the old tower. The park, designed by André Leroy in 1838, extends over 20 hectares and is classified picturesque in 1993. The castle, classified as a historical monument in 1995, remains today the property of the descendants of the Arnous-Rivière family.

The estate experienced periods of decline in the 20th century, especially after the Second World War, before being restored from the 1970s. The recent works concern roofs, skylights, and the square courtyard, which was included in the additional inventory of historical monuments in 1993. The chapel, with its stained glass windows of Thévenet, and the vegetable garden recreated in 2011, testify to the architectural and landscape evolution of the site.

The Arnous-Rivière, family of owners since 1801, have marked the history of the castle with their restorations and facilities. Ernest Arnous-Rivière, decorated for his bravery at Magenta, divided the estate among his daughters at the beginning of the 20th century. Today, the castle, still inhabited by its descendants, combines historical heritage and heritage preservation, with a park and outbuildings open to the visit.

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