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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The house of La Basse-Guerche, located in Chaudefonds-sur-Layon in Maine-et-Loire, is a 15th century castle marked by a hybrid architecture between medieval fortress and Renaissance residence. Built around 1450 by Louis de Beauvau, the senechal of King René d'Anjou, it presents defensive elements such as moats, round towers and ramparts, while integrating Renaissance features: high roof, sharp skylights, stair turret and stone scauguettes. Originally called La Petite Guierche, it became a symbol of local power, passing into the hands of large noble families.

The castle is transferred by inheritance or sale to influential lines: first to the Bourbon-Vendôme via Isabelle de Beauvau (aieule des rois de France), then to the La Trémoille (1477–1549), to the Sanzay (1549–1611), and to the Crespy after the purchase by François Lanier, mayor of Angers. In the 19th century, he frequently changed owners (Quatrebarbes, Miomandre de Saint-Pardoux, Bastard), before being enrolled in the Historical Monuments in 1947. Today in ruins, it bears witness to the evolution of the Angelian castles, mixing defensive utility and reborn aesthetics.

According to the Terrier Paper of the estate, the house included a large room, a living room, high bedrooms, attices, a chapel, and a courtyard closed with walls flanked by two towers. The moat, now invaded by vegetation, once surrounded the whole, accessible by a dormant bridge. The site, though degraded, retains traces of its French-style gardens and its central role in the local seigneury, one of the most important in the parish.

The building of the house coincides with a period of post-war reconstruction of Hundred Years in Anjou, where the lords transform their fortresses into more comfortable residences. Louis de Beauvau, close to King René, embodies this transition: his castle reflects both the military power (reparts, ditches) and the new taste for elegant living spaces (lucarnes, schauguettes). The following families, such as the Trémoille, add their imprint, strengthening their prestige until the Revolution.

In the 20th century, the classification as Historic Monument (1947) emphasized its heritage value, despite its state of ruin. The archives mention its use as a farm in the 19th century, illustrating the decline of seigneuries after the Revolution. The ancient postcards and descriptions of the Earthpaper offer an overview of its former splendor, now partially erased by time and abandonment.

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