Construction of the strong house 1290 (≈ 1290)
Edited by Jehan Godin de Sacé
1361
Fire during the Hundred Years War
Fire during the Hundred Years War 1361 (≈ 1361)
Probably by the English
1370
Abandonment of the site
Abandonment of the site 1370 (≈ 1370)
After partial destruction
1961
Beginning of archaeological excavations
Beginning of archaeological excavations 1961 (≈ 1961)
By the association Areghat
1990
Creation of the medieval botanical garden
Creation of the medieval botanical garden 1990 (≈ 1990)
More than 800 plant species
1995
Classification of historical monuments
Classification of historical monuments 1995 (≈ 1995)
Registration of the archaeological site
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Archaeological site (cad. de Saumur C 6, 7, 28, 29, 44, 46, 53, 54): inscription by order of 2 November 1995
Key figures
Jehan Godin de Sacé - Local Lord and Owner
Close to the noble families of Anjou
Jean le Bon - King of France (1350–1364)
Currency found on the site
Origin and history
The Chevalerie de Sacé, located at the place known as the Cave Painte in the communal forest of Courcy in Brain-sur-Allonnes (Maine-et-Loire), is a medieval archaeological site registered with historical monuments since 1995. Built in 1290 as a strong house surrounded by moat, it belonged to Jehan Godin de Sacé, a local lord close to the noble families of Anjou and the senechalite of Saumur. The site was burned in 1361, probably by British troops during the Hundred Years' War, and then abandoned after 1370.
The excavations carried out since 1961 by the Areghat association revealed 15,000 painted pavement tiles of the 13th and 14th centuries, as well as coins struck during the reign of John the Good (1350–1364). An archaeological museum, opened in 1981 in Brain-sur-Allonnes, exhibits these discoveries. In 1990, a medieval botanical garden was created nearby, reproducing the utilitarian plant organization of the Middle Ages, with more than 800 species classified in sections (medical, tinctoriales, food, etc.).
The site also includes a network of undergrounds potentially linked to a nearby Gallo-Roman complex, 500 metres away. Each year, the Areghat association organizes a medieval costumed festival with tournaments and animations, perpetuating the memory of this place marked by the military and rural history of Anjou. The garden, inspired by the plan of Saint-Gall (Switzerland), illustrates the uses of plants in the Middle Ages, from decorative roses to poisonous plants in the witch garden.
