Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

Château de la Mazure, also known as Château de la Masure, is a French mansion located in Forcé, Mayenne department, Pays de la Loire region. It stands on the banks of the Jouanne River, about 1,500 metres south of the village. Although it was designated as a chapel called Masure by Pierre-François Davelu in his writings on Forcé, this name actually seems to refer to another place called La Cassine, no chapel having ever existed at La Mazure. The old maps, like that of Hubert Jaillot, mention him as a manor, while the Cassini map describes him as a farm with wood.

In 1767, M. Duchemin de la Barberie established a renowned laundry, operated for its fresh and soapy waters of La Jouanne, which allowed the Laval factory to compete with the textile centres of Lyon and Troyes. This industrial site became a target during the revolutionary troubles: in the fimaire year VIII (November 1799), Chouans stole sixty-three pieces of canvas, while Republicans and counter-revolutionaries clashed with it to seize bleached fabrics.

The present castle, built at the end of the 19th century, is part of a vast area of 375 hectares spread over the communes of Forcé, Entrammes and Bonchamp-lès-Laval. Although its history is marked by economic activities and local conflicts, little information remains about its successive lords or owners before this period.

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