Initial construction 2e moitié du XVe siècle (≈ 1550)
Building built in two close fields.
mars 1792
Fire during the Vendée Wars
Fire during the Vendée Wars mars 1792 (≈ 1792)
Castle burned and abandoned since.
1876
Destruction of Saint-Fort Chapel
Destruction of Saint-Fort Chapel 1876 (≈ 1876)
15th century chapel demolished this year.
19 mai 1988
Classification of historical monuments
Classification of historical monuments 19 mai 1988 (≈ 1988)
Protection of remains and ruins.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Remaining ruins of the entire house body, vestiges of the enclosure walls and north-east and north-west towers, the entire southwest tower, the isolated tower (cad. A 407, 420, 1619, 1620): entry by order of 19 May 1988
Key figures
Information non disponible - No character identified
Sources do not mention any related historical actors.
Origin and history
The Grand-Riou Castle, located in Lys-Haut-Layon (Maine-et-Loire), is a building built during the second half of the 15th century. It consists of a rectangular enclosure and a body of squared houses, with a screwed stair tower and a dovecote built into a corner tower. Fired in March 1792 during the Vendée Wars, he has remained in ruins since that date. The remains include parts of the courtesies, an intact southwest tower, and elements of the North Home.
The site could have been a former Templar Commandery, although this hypothesis is not confirmed by detailed archival sources. In the 18th century, the castle was accompanied by a walled park, now extinct. The chapel of Saint-Fort, dating from the 15th century and rebuilt in 1658, was destroyed in 1876. The moat and pond have been filled, and only an isolated tower remains of the outer enclosure. The agricultural parts added in the 19th century complete the whole.
Ranked a historic monument in 1988, the castle specifically protects the ruins of the house body, the remains of the walls of the enclosure, and two towers. Its history reflects the upheavals of the French Revolution in Anjou, especially the destructions linked to the Salesian conflicts. The available sources (Wikipedia, Monumentum) underline its architectural importance despite its fragmentary state, with a shared location between the municipalities of Tigné and Lys-Haut-Layon.
