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Origin and history

The Château de la Haute-Guerche is a medieval fortress built in the 13th century, marked by a square bastion of 40 meters side by side. Originally owned by the Savonnière family, the site passed in the 15th century to the lords of La Jumellière, who made it a major stronghold. Its pentagonal plan, its four towers (two of which remain), and its defences adapted to artillery (cannonholes, caponière) illustrate its military evolution. The materials, shale stones and bricks for scalds reflect local techniques.

In 1793, the castle was burned by the infernal columns on the order of the mayor of Chalonnes, then sold as national property in 1797. Turned into a stone quarry and a farm, it fell into ruin. His partial restoration, notably that of the chapel, earned him the first prize Chefs-d'oeuvre at risk in 1970, followed by an inscription in the Historical Monuments in 1971. The excavations revealed domestic furnaces attesting to its residential use.

The building consists of two courtyards: a high-rise courtyard with the seigneurial house (push windows, latrines, chimneys) and a lower courtyard. The round path serves three ostentatious stallions. Despite its degradation, the site retains remarkable defensive elements, such as the cannons on the boulevard, which witness military adaptations between the Middle Ages and Renaissance.

Today, the ruins of the castle, protected since 1971, include the facades of the chapel and the attic abundant. The site, located in Val-du-Layon (Maine-et-Loire), remains an emblematic example of angeline castral architecture, combining residential, defensive and symbolic functions.

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