Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château des Écorces is located in the commune of Chemazé, in Mayenne, in the region Pays de la Loire. Its history dates back to the 16th century, when the fief of l'Écorce belonged to the Le Verrier family. In 1522, François Le Verrier, a priest, founded a chapel on this estate, whose statue of the Virgin in Tuf is now preserved in the Notre-Dame à la Rose in Chemaze. This fief, vassal of the Marquisat of Château-Gontier in the eighteenth century, changed hands several times before being acquired in 1750 by Charles Bucher, Sieur des Brosses.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the estate passed to Anselme-François Bucher de Chauvigné, eldest son of Anselme-René, seigneur of the Écorce and former mayor of Chemaze. In 1830, under his direction, the present castle was built at the site of an old house. The building was then renovated and restored at the end of the 19th century, while a park was built around it. This castle thus embodies the architectural and social evolution of a Mayen seigneury over centuries.

The estate's successive owners reflect its local importance. Among them, Anselme-René Bucher de Chauvigné, mayor of Angers in 1785, and his son, mayor of Chemaze from 1815 to 1821, marked the political anchor of the family. In the 20th century, the castle passed into the hands of the family of Vaujuas-Langan, then of the Countess du Réau de la Gaignonnière, perpetuating its aristocratic heritage.

External links