Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Soulgé, located 2.5 km northwest of Saulges in Mayenne, is mentioned as Decima de Sougé in the Cartulaire de la Couture in the 13th century. His first written traces evoke a fortified site linked to local noble families, such as the Courtins, of which Huet (†1330) was one of the first attested lords. The castle, surrounded by deep moat and fed with living waters, had a defence reinforced by an entrance chestnut with drawbridge, still intact in the 19th century.

In the 14th century, the estate belonged to the lords of Mathefelon, as evidenced by the confessions made in 1361 and 1418, describing hunting rights (defensible garennes) and dependencies separated by moat. The chapel, active in 1636, and underground cellars underline its role both residential and strategic. The castle then passes into the hands of influential families: the Chandemanche (XVth century), the Bellay (XVIth-17th centuries), then the La Porte and Rousseau de Monfrand in the 18th-18th century.

The Bellay family, including Pierre (Lord in 1592), marked the history of the place during the League wars. The castle, registered with the Historical Monuments in 1988, preserves medieval elements such as the gate and moat, despite changes in the 16th century. His last notable owner before the 20th century, Julien Perrey (Paris artist), acquired in 1905, before his transmission to Rémy Le Tourneur in 1956.

The archives also reveal architectural details: a 16th century house body bearing the Courtin's shield, a futai and a nearby pond (XIXth century), as well as underground galleries under the terrace. The notarial acts and wills (like that of the Abbé de La Porte in 1691) illustrate the successive transmissions of the estate, reflecting its heritage importance in Mayenne.

The castle of Soulgé thus embodies almost eight centuries of seigneurial history, between military defense, religious life (private chapel) and residential adaptations. Its inscription in 1988 protects a remarkable set: chestnut, fuye, moat, house, chapel and ramparts, today private property.

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