Construction of the castle 2e moitié du XIXe siècle (≈ 1865)
Eclectic building on remains of the priory.
8 juin 2012
Registration for Historic Monuments
Registration for Historic Monuments 8 juin 2012 (≈ 2012)
Protection of facades, decorations and park.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The following elements composing the castle: the soils of plots AD 140, 141, 146 to 149; facades and roofs of the castle; the rooms on the ground floor with their decor, namely the west entrance, the vestibule, the octagon living room and the dining room; façades and roofs of the east wing with Romanesque arcades; the facades and roofs of the outbuildings of the garden, namely those of the guard house and the adjoining garage; the fence wall on Rue du Mail and the Talute Wall; the English park with its aisles, its structures and edicles, namely the water room with its island and the corner factory, the fence walls: inscription by order of 8 June 2012
Key figures
René Hodé - Architect
Designer of the eclectic castle.
Perrault-Bussigny - Landscape architect
Creator of the English park.
Origin and history
The Château des Cloîtres, located in Chemillé-en-Anjou (formerly Chemillé-Melay) in the department of Maine-et-Loire, is an eclectic building built in the 2nd half of the 19th century. It partially replaces the south wing of the former Priory St. Peter, of which it preserves the east wing, a Romanesque vestige rebuilt in the eighteenth century. The estate is organized around an English park, punctuated by a piece of water, an island, and a corner factory, reflecting the landscape taste of the time.
The architecture of the castle combines neo-Gothic elements, visible in the ground floor rooms (vestibule, octagonal living room, dining room), and old conventual structures. The site also includes a cottage-style caretaker house and outbuildings, all lined with a historic fence wall. Together, including the park and its buildings, has been listed as historic monuments since 2012, highlighting its heritage value.
The castle illustrates the tendency of the 19th century to reinterpret past styles, while integrating medieval remains. Architects René Hodé (building) and Perrault-Bussigny (landscapeist) marked the project, combining Romanesque heritage and romantic aesthetics. Today, the site remains shared between communal and private property, without its access to the public being clearly specified in the available sources.
The location of the castle, near the former commune of Chemillé-Melay (now merged in Chemillé-en-Anjou), is part of a territory marked by religious and seigneurial history. The priory Saint Peter, whose traces remain, bears witness to the medieval monastic occupation, while the transformation into an eclectic residence in the 19th century reflects the evolution of the uses of historical buildings in Anjou.
The elements protected by the 2012 inscription cover not only the facades and roofs of the castle, but also the neo-Gothic interior decorations, the Romanesque arcades of the east wing, and the entire English park. The latter, with its winding alleys and factories, embodies the ideal landscape of the 19th century, where nature and artifice combine to create a picturesque and contemplative setting.
