Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château du Plessis-Macé is a medieval building that was profoundly renovated at the beginning of the Renaissance, located in the delegated commune of Plessis-Macé, which is now integrated in Longuenée-en-Anjou (Maine-et-Loire). Built near the church of St Peter, it dominates a village about ten kilometers north of Angers. Its architecture blends defensive elements inherited from the Middle Ages – such as its thick walls and towers – with Renaissance additions, such as windows pierced in the walls and pepper-making towers. The site, classified as a historical monument since 1962, illustrates the evolution of castles into aristocratic residences between the 15th and 16th centuries.

The seigneury of the Plessis-Macé was owned, from the 11th to the 18th century, by four families bound by matrimonial alliances: the Plessis (founders, including Macé I around 1060), the Hague-Joulain, the Beaumont, and the Bellay. The major reconstruction of the castle began around 1440 under Louis de Beaumont (1407–77), chamberlain of Charles VII and then Louis XI, which transformed the fortress ruined by the Hundred Years' War into a flamboyant Gothic home. He added balconies for tournaments, a stairway tower for mules, and a rebuilt dungeon. King Louis XI stayed there in 1472 during his campaign against Brittany, signing letters from the castle.

In the 16th century, the Bellay family, including the poet Joachim and Cardinal John, marked the history of the place. Eustache du Bellay (circa 1440–1504), the chamberlain of Louis XII, inherited it by marriage, followed by his descendants until 1678. François I stayed there in 1518 and 1532, attaching his seal to the treaty of Vannes which sealed the union of Brittany with France. The castle then changed hands several times: acquired by the Bautru in 1678, then by the Walsh (Dutch shipowners of Irish origin) in 1749, before being restored in the 19th century by Sophie Legrand, Countess Walsh, in a passionate neo-Gothic style.

In the 20th century, the castle was bought by historian Charles-Victor Langlois, who undertook major restorations with his family. Ranked a historic monument in 1962, it was partially donated to the state in 1967 by Philippe Langlois-Berthelot, subject to private use for his descendants. Today, the site hosts cultural events, such as the Anjou festival, and has been used as a setting for films, including La Dame de Monsoreau (1971 and 2009). Its hybrid architecture and its history linked to the crown of France make it a privileged witness to the transitions between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

Official protections include the classification of the castle in 1962 and its site in 1987. Historical archives and studies, such as those of Célestin Port or Antoinette Langlois-Berthelot, document its evolution since the 11th century, highlighting its role in the Franco-Breton conflicts and its architectural heritage. The tapestries acquired by Sophie Legrand and the restorations of the Langlois-Berthelot preserved his character, while the royal stays (Louis XI, Charles VIII, François I, Henri IV) made it a place marked by French political history.

External links