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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The manor house of Verdigné, also known as "La Grande Maison", is a building built at the end of the 16th century, around 1581 or after 1590 according to architectural sources. Located in Avesnes-en-Saosnois (Sarthe), it was historically dependent on Peray chestnut, 20 minutes northeast of the village. His architectural style, inspired by Philibert Delorme, combines bastioned pavilions and ditches, revealing a dual vocation as a marina and a stronghold.

Sponsored by Yves Tragin, lord of the Plessis d'Avesnes, the mansion bears the traces of the religious wars of the time. Its defensive elements (walls, mouth-to-fire openings) and exterior staircase reflect the military and aesthetic principles of the late Renaissance. The building, surrounded by an inner courtyard and related buildings, includes a wing potentially dedicated to the palm game, although this function remains uncertain.

Ranked Historic Monument in 1997, the mansion is now restored by its owners, Charles and Philippe Gagnot, who preserve its original architecture. The sources mention the ornamental decorations studied (ceilings, huisseries) and a spatial organization typical of the seigneurial residences of the period, between comfort and defense. Its heritage inscription underlines its importance in local and regional history.

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