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Origin and history

The castle of Sainte-Suzanne is a 11th century castle built on a rocky spur overlooking the Erve valley in the present Mayenne department. Its origins date back to the Iron Age, as evidenced by archaeological excavations carried out in 2006. In the middle of the 11th century, the family of Beaumont, Viscounts du Maine, built a dungeon and ramparts there, marking the beginning of its strategic role in the region.

Between 1083 and 1086, the castle successfully resisted the siege led by William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy and King of England, becoming the only strong place to escape him. Defended by Hubert II of Beaumont, he took advantage of his natural position, surrounded by dense rocks and vineyards, to thwart Norman assaults. This siege, told by the columnist Orderic Vital, ended in a peace in 1086, sealing a rare defeat of the Conqueror.

During the Hundred Years' War, the castle changed hands several times: taken by the English under John Fastolf in 1425, it was taken over by John of Bueil in 1439 before being returned to John II of Alençon in 1447. These episodes reflect its military importance in Franco-English conflicts. At the beginning of the 17th century, Guillaume Fouquet de la Varenne, minister of Henry IV, bought the ruins in 1604 to build a residential home, marking his partial transformation into an aristocratic home.

The house, built between 1608 and 1613 by architect Louis Metezeau, illustrates the style of transition between Renaissance and classicism, with a sober facade and a remarkable frame in the shape of an inverted ship hull. Fouquet uses local materials (stone, tuft) and partially alters the ramparts, such as the discount of their southeast height. However, the assassination of Henry IV in 1610 interrupted the work, leaving the project unfinished.

Ranked a historic monument in 1862 for its ramparts and in 1984 for the house, the castle became departmental property in 1998. Since 2009, it has been home to the Centre d'interprétation de l'architecture et du patrimoine (CIAP) of the Country of Art and History Coëvrons-Mayenne. Accessible to all, he was awarded for his commitment to disability, while valuing the medieval and architectural history of the site.

The lords of the castle followed each other over the centuries, from Beaumont to Bourbon-Vendôme, then to Guillaume Fouquet de la Varenne, before passing into the hands of families like the Choiseul-Praslin or the Beauvau-Craon. In the 20th century, after restorations carried out by private owners such as Arnaud de Vitry, the castle was transferred to the commune in 1980 and then to the department, ensuring its preservation and cultural vocation.

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