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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Château du Pont-de-Varenne, located in Louresse-Rochemenier en Maine-et-Loire, is mentioned from 1055 as a fief under the Saint-Florent Abbey of Saumur. In the 12th century it was exchanged to lay lords, and was rebuilt in the early 16th century by the Serpillon family, then passed into the hands of the Thoisnon, Courtavel, and Charbonnier. Its architecture, although defensive in appearance (douves, tower of angle), is conceived as a residence of pleasure, with a Renaissance pavilion and a chapel dedicated to the Virgin and Saint Suzanne, founded in 1530.

In the 18th century, the castle belonged to Joseph François Foullon, Baron de Doué, and then to Jean-François Merlet, Prefect of Vendée, who undertook important restoration work between 1796 and 1830. The interiors and south wing are redesigned, while the commons ( stables, bakery) are destroyed and replaced by agricultural buildings. The chapel, the moat and the drawbridge (disappeared in the 20th century) bear witness to its evolution, between medieval heritage and modern adaptations. The estate, partly autarchic (vignes, orchard, press), has remained in the Rothé family since the 19th century.

Ranked a historic monument in 1973, the castle illustrates local history by its successive owners, including the Genet and Merlet families. Its unbalanced "U" plan, its crepie facades and its Girouette marked with an M (for Merlet) reflect centuries of transformation. The last restorations, carried out at the end of the 20th century, preserved its homogeneous character despite additions, such as the 19th century terrace or the communes rebuilt between 1800 and 1836.

The variable spelling of his name (Varannes, Varenne) is explained by his position on the old route from Doué-la-Fontaine to Gennes, near a ford crossing the stream of Maliverne. A nearby dolmen, Pierre Couverte, even supplied a stone in 1830 to facilitate the passage. This mixture of seigneurial history, Renaissance architecture and rural life makes it a privileged witness to the Angelian heritage.

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