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Origin and history

The Old Court Castle, built in the 13th century by the family of Châteaugiron, is a typical example of medieval military architecture. Located on a rocky base overlooking the Hâvre valley, it had a strategic position to control the Roman way from Angers to Nantes. The site consists of a high courtyard, sheltering the seigneurial house, and a low courtyard, both girded with dry moat. The upper courtyard was protected by a fortified enclosure including a tower, a doorway and walls, reflecting the defensive techniques of the time.

The first written mention of Old Court dates back to 1140, when Geoffroy d'Oudon, mortally wounded in the siege of Champtoceaux, bequeathed his property to the monks of Oudon, including the meadows of Veteri Curte. This toponym, meaning "old court" in Latin, suggests an occupation long before the 12th century. The term "old" indicates that the site was already seen as an ancient at that time, although the current remains date mainly from the thirteenth century.

The building of the castle in the 13th century by the Châteaugirons is explained by its advantageous location: a solid rocky base and a dominant view of the Hâvre valley, then navigable. However, its strategic interest declined at the end of the 14th century. In 1392, Alain de Malestroit obtained permission from the Duke John IV of Brittany to destroy Vieille Cour in order to strengthen the castle of Oudon, more suitable for the defense of the duchy against the kingdom of France. The Nantes-Angers road, now along the Loire River, and the Hâvre silt make the site obsolete.

After its partial destruction, the estate passed into the hands of large Breton families: Malestroit, du Bellay, Montmorency, then Bourbon-Condé, until the Revolution. In the 20th century, the ruins were acquired in 1907 by Count Charles de Berthen de Pommery, Mayor of Oudon, before being transferred in 2013 to the family of Perier. It created an association to preserve the site, open to the public during Heritage Days. The castle, classified as a site registered in 1942, today bears witness to the evolution of defensive strategies in Brittany.

The Old Court toponym comes from the Latin Vetus Curtis, evoking an ancient rural estate or seigneurial residence. Excavations and archives also reveal the proximity of a submerged Roman viaduct, the Noyé Bridge, highlighting the historical importance of this route of communication. Although partially in ruins, the seigneurial house retains a room of appearance, annexes and a doorway, separated from the rest of the enclosure by an inner moat. These architectural elements illustrate everyday life and social hierarchies in the Middle Ages.

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