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Origin and history

The château de la Béchère, also known as château de la Beschère or de la Bessière, is a former building located in Deux-Évailles, Mayenne (Land of the Loire). His imposing ruins, described by Abbé Angot, include a main body flanked by pavilions, surrounded by ditches fed by the river. The chapel, located above the gate in the center, dates from the 14th century. This monument was a strong house rather than a fortress, built on a peninsula.

The seigneury of the Béchère was partly under the duchy of Mayenne and Thuré, with rights of justice never exercised. It covered Deux-Évailles and several nearby parishes such as Gesnes and Commer. Between 1200 and 1350, she belonged to the Deux-Évailles family, then passed to the Bessonneau and Beauvau by marriage alliances. The castle was probably damaged during the Hundred Years' War, when Pierre de Beauvau, lord of the place, took part.

The Beauvau, an influential noble family, marked the history of the castle. Mathieu III of Beauvau (died 1421), squire of the king of Sicily and governor of Roucy County, inherited it by marriage. His son, Pierre de Beauvau du Rivau (died 1453), Charles VII's first chamberlain, rebuilt the Château du Rivau but the Béchère remained a secondary residence. The seigneury then passed to René de Beauvau, captain of Mayenne, then to his descendants, including Jacques de Beauvau, wounded at the Battle of Arques (1589) and died in 1592.

In 1645 Charles de Montesson acquired the estate, bringing together the seigneuries of the Béchère and the Roche-Pichemer. The property changed hands several times, notably via the family of Hercé and Ozouville. In the 19th century, Guillaume-François d'Ozouville, mayor of Saint-Ouën-des-Vallons and historian, was the last notable owner. Today, the ruins of the castle, including the chapel and the gate, are integrated into a farm.

The Chartrier de la Béchère, containing eighteen chapters of local archives, is kept at the Archives départementales de la Mayenne. This fund, donated by Guillaume-François d'Ozouville, offers a valuable testimony on the feudal and seigneurial history of the region. The remains, though partial, illustrate medieval defensive architecture adapted to an island site, typical of the fortified houses of the time.

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