Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Façades and roofs, stairway facing the octagonal tower and six old chimneys: one in the dining room and in the large living room on the first floor, one on the second floor, two on the third floor, one on the fourth floor (Box B 20): inscription by order of 28 December 1978
Key figures
Famille Walsh de Serrant - Associate Owner
Link to the nearby racetrack mentioned.
Origin and history
The Château de la Maroutière, located in Saint-Fort (now integrated with Château-Gontier-sur-Mayenne), is a small 13th century mansion, renovated in the 15th century. Surrounded by moat, it preserves an octagonal turret and ornamented windows of that time. The estate, formerly seigneury dependent on the baronie de Saint-Jean de Château-Gontier, was erected as a châtellenie after annexation of neighboring fiefs such as Ligné or Bozeille-Maroutière.
In the 19th century, the castle was mentioned under various names (La Maroustière, La Marhoutière) in archives and maps, reflecting its local importance. Partly inscribed in the Historical Monuments in 1978, its protection covers facades, roofs, a snorkel stone screw staircase and six old chimneys spread over four floors. These elements, as well as skylights and moat remains, testify to its architectural evolution.
Close to the Château-Gontier racetrack, the castle was associated with the Walsh family of Serrant, although the sources do not specify the exact nature of this link. The departmental archives of the Mayenne and the national archives retain acts (titles of Saint-Just, parish registers) attesting to its seigneurial history, while its restoration in the 19th century gave it its present aspect, preserved until the 21st century.
The site thus combines medieval traces (tourelle, moats) and later additions, illustrating the transformation of a rural seigneury into a heritage estate. Its inscription in the title of Historic Monuments highlights the value of its architectural elements, including the tuffle staircase and chimneys, symbols of its past prestige.
