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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The castle of Narcé found its origins in the 11th century with Arnoul de Narcé, who married Ermengarde, daughter of Pignon, owner of land given by Count Foulques Rechin. In 1151, the property was sold to Robert d'Arbrissel, founder of Fontevrault Abbey. In the 13th century, Hugues de Narcé, knight templier, was commander there. The estate then passed to the Bernard d'Etian family, including Élie Bernard, married to Charlotte du Bellay, had the mansion rebuilt.

In the seventeenth century, the castle had a carved shield on its gate and housed a chapel dedicated to Saint Mary Magdalene. In 1775 Charles Laurent Aveline, secretary of the Academy of Angers, had him rebuilt by the architect Bordillon, adding a park with water and avenues. The present castle, built in 1880 after a fire, mixes angevin style with brick, typical of the 19th century.

In the 20th century, the estate was requisitioned during World War I as a hospital for American soldiers. In 1941, under Pétain, he became a youth yard, forerunner of technical establishments. Transformed into a vocational high school in 1945, it now hosts 1,100 students and apprentices. The communes (1785) and the chapel have been inscribed in the Historical Monuments since 1975.

Since 2015, major rehabilitation works (€31.1 million) have modernised the workshops, with buildings complying with environmental standards (HQE). The castle now houses administrative services, while the workshops host training in mechanics, carpentry and agriculture. The property, managed by the Pays de la Loire region, preserves rare species planted in the 19th century.

The name "narce" has evolved over the centuries: Nivernis (1028), of Nevertio (1073), or Narczay (1540), reflecting its medieval history and its link with the Templars and the Angelian nobility. The estate, formerly agricultural (400 ha of orchards in the 20th century), was also a sugar refinery in the 19th century before its current educational vocation.

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