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Origin and history

Poligné Castle, located in Forcé in Mayenne, is a former moving seigneury in Maine County, attested to since the thirteenth century. The lord of Poligné had military obligations, such as the guard at Pont-Perrin in Le Mans in time of war. Around 1400 he tried to establish a three-pillar justice, but the Count of Maine reminded him of his status as a simple vassal. Despite this, the title of chestnut was then recognized, with privileges as a four-pillared justice (1603), hunting rights, and permission to build a fortified castle.

In the 17th century, the estate included a castle surrounded by walls, barns, gardens, woods, vineyards, meadows, and mills. The seigneurs of Poligné, founders of the chapter of the Cemetery-Dieu in Laval, enjoyed prebends and religious privileges, despite their conversion to Protestantism around 1560. Protestantism settled in Poligné for a long time, making it a refuge for the Laval Reformers until the mid-17th century. In 1660, under pressure from the Paris Parliament, the lords, returning to Catholicism, had to remove Protestant symbols from the church of the Cemetery-God.

The present castle, partially built in the 18th century, was renovated in the 19th century, notably by architect Delavue. An underground funeral chapel, richly decorated with white marble, was added at the end of the 19th century and classified as a historic monument in 1992. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the estate belongs to the family of Waresquiel, who still own it today.

The site also includes a farm and a mansion, located 300 meters northeast of the town of Forcé. The castle of Poligné illustrates the architectural and religious evolution of a Mayen seigneury, marked by conflicts of power, changes of worship, and successive architectural transformations.

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