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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Château de la Vrillière is a building located in La Chapelle-Basse-Mer, in the current municipality of Divotte-sur-Loire (Loire-Atlantique). It is a house rebuilt in the early seventeenth century, incorporating elements of an earlier building of the late fifteenth century. The architectural ensemble is organized around a rectangular courtyard, accessible by a classical style portal. This castle illustrates the evolution of seigneurial residences between the Middle Ages and the modern era, combining medieval heritage and classical influences.

The estate includes a circular escape, partially preserved: although its stone dome has disappeared, its terracotta bolts remain. This type of agricultural annex, common in rural properties, bears witness to the economic activities associated with the breeding of pigeons, reserved for lords under the Old Regime. The escape and main residence have been protected as historic monuments since 2001, highlighting their heritage value.

The location of the castle, halfway between the Loire and the village of La Chapelle-Basse-Mer, reflects its historical role in a territory marked by river trade and agriculture. The Loire-Atlantique, integrated into the Pays de la Loire, was a dynamic region, where castles served both as aristocratic residences and as land management centres. The inscription of the monument in 2001 preserved this testimony of the rural architecture of the Niger of the seventeenth and fifteenth centuries.

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