Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château Le Lavouër, located in Neuvy-en-Mauges (Maine-et-Loire), was built between 1770 and 1785 according to plans drawn at Versailles. It replaces an old fortress about 100 meters away. The 18th-century estate includes a 40-hectare English park, wood and water parts. Its commons and architecture reflect the elegance of the era, although its history is mainly linked to revolutionary disturbances.

During the Vendée War (1793-1796), the castle became the headquarters of the Salesian armies under the direction of Major-General Jean-Nicolas Stofflet, a former Alsatian hunting guard. He installed his offices there and resided there until 1795, before moving to the Mourosière. The castle was then transformed into an episcopal palace by Bernier, bishop of Saint-Laud, who led Stofflet and 42 priests from his parish. Their staff coordinated the military operations of the Chemillé region and attempted, without success, to negotiate with François-Athanase Charette, the Salesian chief executed in 1796.

The castle was also home to an underground printing factory producing closets for the vendean resistance. By the end of the war, it would have been hidden in a well, with a persistent legend on a silver treasure never found. The lead characters, discovered for two centuries in a well on the farm, confirm this story. The monument, classified in 1969, thus preserves tangible traces of its revolutionary past.

Stofflet's figure remains controversial: described as harsh and brutal but effective, he was influenced by bad advisers, including Abbé Bernier, accused of personal ambitions and possibly involved in his fall. Bernier, key figure in the Vendée wars, would have played a role in the execution of Marigny and, indirectly, in that of Stofflet himself via an ambiguous message. These internal tensions weakened the Salesian movement.

Today, the Château Le Lavouër, with its protected facades and roofs, bears witness to both 18th century architecture and revolutionary upheavals in Anjou. Its park and commons, although less documented, complement a heritage complex linked to a pivotal period in French history.

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