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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Venevelles Manor House, also known as Venevelles Castle, originated in the 11th century in the Aune Valley, at the foot of a wooded hill once occupied by a Roman castrum. Its name, derived from the Gaulish verna (aulne) and val (valley), evokes its location on the riverside. Owned by the monks of Saint-Aubin Abbey in Angers at the end of the 11th century, the estate passed into the hands of the family of Espaigne from the 13th century. These lords, originally from Saint-Gervais-en-Belin, rebuilt the manor house after the Hundred Years War (15th century), transforming a medieval strong house into a residence adapted to Renaissance tastes.

In the 17th century, under the impulse of Henri-Paul d'Espaigne and his wife Suzanne Le Vasseur, the mansion became a home of Calvinism in Anjou. As Protestants, they welcomed reformed assemblies and sent their children to study at the Saumur Academy. The estate, erected as a marquisat in 1654, was profoundly redesigned: the removal of one floor to create a noble floor, the addition of an honour staircase, the construction of a drawbridge and a French park (circa 1650). The southeast tower, nicknamed the "Huguenotière", symbolizes this period. After Henry Paul's death in 1656, Suzanne Le Vasseur continued the work, but the family, ruined, had to give up part of the land to cover its debts.

The mansion changed hands several times after the Revolution. Sold as national property in 1799, it was bought in 1802 by the widow of Henri-Jacques d'Espaigne, before being sold in 1807 to Armand Constant Lebaigue, mayor of Luché-Pringé. In the 20th century, Japanese painter Toyosaku Saïto became its owner in 1926, then musicologist Norbert Dufourcq acquired it in 1955. The latter, passionate about the history of the place, undertook important restorations and obtained his classification at historical monuments in 1963. His research, compiled in the book "Nobles and Peasants at the Borders of Maine and Anjou" (1988), remains the reference on the seigneury of Venevelles.

Architecturally, the mansion combines medieval elements (15th century logis, moats, turrets) and Renaissance additions (Louis XIII papillons, Plantagenet vaulted chapel). The site, lined with moat fed by the Aune, also preserves traces of a network of underground galleries, one of which would have connected Venevelles to the château de la Grifferie. The chapel, blessed in 1503 by the Cardinal of Luxembourg, and the commons of the sixteenth century complete this remarkable ensemble.

The family of Espaigne, owner for nearly seven centuries, is a lasting sign of the history of the place. After their emigration during the Revolution, the mansion went through periods of decline before being saved by Norbert Dufourcq. Today, it bears witness to both medieval defensive architecture, Renaissance transformations, and the turbulent religious history of Anjou and Maine.

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