Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Manor House of La Chaslerie, located in Domfront en Poiraie (former commune of La Haute-Chapelle, Orne), is an architectural complex built between the 16th and 18th centuries. It is distinguished by its marked defensive character, including a pierced fire wall from the regency of Mary of Medici, reflecting the troubles of the era. The main house, erected in 1598 by a member of the Ledin family, managing the private interests of Minister Sully, dominates a closed courtyard flanked by two pepper towers and a porch surmounted by an imperial dome. The property also includes a 14th century castral chapel dedicated to Saint Anne, decorated with wall paintings made under Louis XIV.

The Ledin family, who was the owner until the Revolution, held local offices such as Domfront's Viscount, and marked its influence by placing its weapons in the church of Notre-Dame-sur-l'Eau in Domfront, where a rare coat of armor remained in the department. Confiscated as a national property after the emigration of its last noble owner, Louis-Marie de Vassy, the mansion was acquired by the Levêque family, which kept it almost two centuries. Since 1991, the current owners, supported by the SVAADE association, have restored the site and organized cultural events there, perpetuating its role as a place of life and heritage.

The mansion illustrates the architectural and social evolution of the Norman rural nobility, combining residential, agricultural (farm, press, dovecote) and defensive functions. Filed and registered for historical monuments between 1926 and 1995, it also reflects family alliances and local power strategies under the Old Regime. The moat, crenelated walls and half-timbered outbuildings recall the adaptation of the lords to the geographical constraints (the marshy areas of the "Pournouët") and politics of their time.

The chapel, located about 20 meters from the house, houses a partially preserved wall decor, while the buildings around the courtyard — 18th century stables, 17th century pavilion and dovecote — reflect successive additions. The shooting bench wall, a hundred meters long, and the nobility balls adorning the chimneys underline both the desire for protection and the affirmation of a social status. Today, the mansion combines heritage preservation and openness to the public, with free outdoor tours and summer activities inspired by the schubertiades.

The history of the estate is also that of its transformations: sold as national property in 1789, Chaslerie passed into the hands of robins (Levêque family), before being acquired in 1991 by the current owners. They focused their work on dewatering buildings and valuing the surroundings, with the aim of hosting artists' residences. The 500 metre access hall, classified in 1993, and the protected elements in 1995 (porch, chapel, courtyard) attest to the heritage recognition of the site.

Finally, the mansion embodies the transition between feudality and modernity: initially under Lonlay Abbey, it became a symbol of ascension and the decline of a local noble family. The funerary slabs and the gissant of the Church of Our Lady-on-Water, now disappeared or dispersed, recall this story, while the performances organized by the SVAADE insert the place in a contemporary dynamic, between memory and creation.

Future

The public can visit the outside of the mansion free of charge throughout the year. The interior can also be visited, but by groups and by appointment.

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