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Origin and history

The castle of the Plessis-Fortia is built on the former seigneury of the Plessis-Formautés, acquired in 1599 by Bernard III de Fortia, adviser to the parliament of Paris. Although the bill of sale does not mention any pre-existing buildings, construction of the castle begins between 1600 and 1620. At his death in 1629, the estate moved to his son François de Fortia, intendant of Dauphiné and Guyenne, who continued the work without major changes. The castle, then unfinished but habitable, already includes the chapel pavilion, the west pavilion and the house corps.

In 1633, Anne de La Barre, wife of François de Fortia, entrusted Jehan Foy, master mason of Paris, with the completion of the works: the elevation of the main body, the construction of the large stone staircase, the east pavilion (with its initials) and the concierge's pavilion. An inscription dated 1638, accompanied by the initials BF (Bernard de Fortia IV, grandson of the first owner), attests to this final phase. The castle, characterized by its brick and stone facades, occupies a strategic location on a terrace surrounded by moats, partially filled under the First Empire.

Passed by inheritance to the descendants of the Fortia family, the castle was sold in 1728 to Charles Prévost, Sieur de Saint-Cyr, before passing into the hands of the Le Gouvello family. Ranked Historic Monument in 1953 for its facades, roofs and park, it illustrates the seigneurial architecture of the first half of the seventeenth century in the Loire Valley. Its history reflects the family alliances and administrative functions of its owners, linked to the crown and regional parliaments.

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