Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Château du Roseray is a building from the 1st quarter of the 18th century, located in the town of Ballots (Mayenne), in the heart of the Pays de la Loire. It is an agricultural estate structured around a central castle, surrounded by outbuildings (stables, moats), a park with ancient tracks (including a green driveway), and a chapel built in 1691. The site, still partially surrounded by walls, reflects the seigneurial organization of the time, mixing residential, agricultural and religious functions.

Originally, the estate belonged to the family Farcy du Roseray, Protestant branch of the Farcy, councillors in the parliament of Brittany, in the 17th century. In 1685, Jacques de Farcy and his wife Isabelle Pineau, Protestants, abjured their faith before Esprit Fléchier, Bishop of Lavau, in a context of religious pressure post-revocation of the edict of Nantes. Six years later, in 1691, a chapel was erected on the estate with the permission of the bishop of Angers, marking a turning point in the religious history of the place.

The castle was listed as a historical monument in 1989, protecting its architecture (housework, stables, moats) and the remains of its park. The sources mention Simonneau as a masterpiece, although his exact role remains unexplained. Today, Roseray illustrates the evolution of seigneurial domains between the 17th and 18th centuries, moving from a Protestant fief to a classified architectural ensemble, witness to the social and religious changes of Mayenne.

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