Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The estate of Lonrai, located in Colombiers in Orne, has its origins in the Middle Ages with the family of Silly, who was its lord. In 1527, Anne de Silly's marriage with Jacques I of Goyon Matignon incorporated Lonrai into this powerful family. Their descendant, Charles de Goyon Matignon, obtained the erection of the seigneury as a marquisate in 1644. The estate then passed to the Colberts of Seignelay, then to the Montmorency Luxembourg, before being sold in 1792 to Thomas Mercier, Alençonese merchant.

At the beginning of the 19th century, Jacques Mercier, son of Thomas and mayor of Alençon, demolished the old castle. In 1855, Charles Choppin de Séraincourt built the present castle, in brick and stone style, surrounded by moats and an English park. After his death in 1860, the estate was acquired by the banker Armand Donon, who founded a famous stud. In 1892, Count Le Marois, passionate about horse racing, took over the property and perpetuated horse breeding.

The castle, partially classified as a historical monument in 1999 and 2000, maintains a large salon with pumpkin woodwork. Its park, registered since 1943, extends along the edge of the Ecouves forest. The Marois family maintains the estate until the beginning of the 21st century, marking over five centuries of history linked to the aristocracy and local economy.

Although the castle is located mainly in Lonrai, part of the estate extends over the neighbouring municipality of Colombiers. The protections cover facades, moats, outbuildings ( stables, orangery) and the dovecote, testimonies of his seigneurial and agricultural past. Today, the estate illustrates the architectural and social evolution of a Norman site, from the Middle Ages to the contemporary era.

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