Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

Château du Bailleul is located in the territory of the municipality of Hercé, near Gorron, in Mayenne (Pays de la Loire). Originally, this fief was vassal of Pontmain's chestnutry and extended over several parishes: Hercé, Gorron, Colombiers-du-Plessis, Saint-Denis and Montaudin. Its history is marked by a succession of noble families, including the Bailleul, who were its principal lords for centuries.

In the 18th century, the castle was described as an ancient fortress with towers, double ditches and drawbridges, although partially transformed into two houses. A driveway of beech was then linking Gorron to the estate. The chapel, dedicated to Saint Roch, was founded twice (1583 and 1673) and served as a place of worship and ceremony, such as the marriage of Daniel Broquet in 1623. During the Revolution, parish priest François Garnier found refuge there in the year VI (1797-1798).

Reconstructed in the early 19th century by César Le Dauphin-Blinière, the castle adopts a more modern structure with a central body flanked by two wings, always surrounded by moat. The chapel, considered modest, was also rebuilt and became a procession site at the end of the 19th century. The estate changed hands in 1817 and moved to the Dukes of Abrantès, including Maurice Le Ray, last mentioned owner before 1900.

The seigneurs du Bailleul, the eponymous family, marked the history of the place from the thirteenth century with figures such as Eude du Bailleul (1250) or Pierre du Bailleul (16th-17th centuries), Baron of Gorron. Their lineage was extinguished in the 18th century, leaving room for single heirs. The castle thus illustrates the architectural and social evolution of a medieval fief in aristocratic residence, before its progressive decline.

The archives mention notarial acts, religious foundations and local conflicts, such as the accusation against Jean du Bailleul in 1415 for beating a sergeant of the Count of Maine. These elements underline the central role of the castle in the political, religious and economic life of the region, from the Middle Ages to the modern era.

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