Château de la Fautraise en Mayenne

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Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de la Fautraise, located in Argenton-Notre-Dame in the department of Mayenne (Pays de la Loire), is a building marked from the map of Cassini under the name of chateau de la Fautraize. This fief, dependent on Romfort, was entirely rebuilt around 1750 by René-Louis-François Chailland, parish priest of Argenton from 1731 to 1768 and seigneur of the place. Chailland, who lived there leaving a vicar in the village, joined a chapel still mentioned in 1824 before being replaced by an ogival-style construction. This monument illustrates the link between religious power and local nobility in modern times.

In 1796, the castle was associated with a notable episode of the Vendée wars: Royalist Colonel Marin-Pierre Gaullier had laid down the arms of his division of 2,400 men, according to historian Émile Queruau-Lamerie. However, this version is contested by the Mémoires de Bernard de la Frégéolière, which places this event at Beaumont Castle, 4 km away. On that date, La Fautraise belonged to Henri-Gabriel-Germain de Villoutreys de Brignac and his wife Marie-Henriette-Thérèse de la Forêt d'Armaillé, reflecting the political tensions of the Revolution.

The castle changed hands several times over the centuries. After passing between those of the heirs of Chailland (including the families Scépeaux and Leshesnault de Bouillé), it was acquired in 1863 by Émile de Beaumont, who undertook important restorations. The modern-style modern home is distinguished by its central pavilion with a pyramid roof surmounted by a lantern. Successive lords, such as Anne du Puy-du-Fou (1510) or Étienne Renard (mid-16th century), bear witness to his anchoring in the history of Mayen.

The confusion between the castles of La Fautraise and Beaumont, emphasized by Abbé Angot, may be explained by the geographical proximity and partial homonymy with the owner of 1863. The lily flowers sculpted on a chimney in the castle of Beaumont, evoked in the sources, recall its aristocratic past. These details illustrate the challenges of local history, where oral accounts and archives sometimes cross in a contradictory way.

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