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Origin and history

The manor house of Verdigné, also called "La Grande Maison", was built at the end of the 16th century on the town of Avesnes-en-Saosnois, in the department of Sarthe. Sponsored by Yves Tragin, lord of the Plessis d'Avesnes, its construction is dated 1581 according to the archives, although its architectural style suggests a realization after 1590. This mansion, dependent on Peray's chestnut, bears traces of the religious wars that marked the region.

Designed according to the principles of architect Philibert Delorme, the mansion combines defensive and residential elements. Its body of houses, flanked by bastioned pavilions and surrounded by ditches, evokes a stronghold, while its inner courtyard and adjoining buildings recall a marina. The corner pavilions, pierced with openings for mouths, confirm his military vocation. A side wing, lined with ditches, may have housed a palm game, although this hypothesis remains uncertain.

The manor house was listed as a historical monument by order of 23 December 1997. Since then, its current owners, Charles and Philippe Gagnot, have worked to restore it in accordance with its original architecture. The site, located 20 minutes' walk northeast of the village of Peray, bears witness to the seigneurial history and religious tensions of the Renaissance in Sarthe.

Historical sources mention bibliographic references, including Christine Leduc's work on ornamental decorations (2005) and Henri Renault Du Moley's writings on the Tragin family (1897). These documents, as well as the archives of the Ministry of Culture, illuminate the heritage importance of the mansion in the architectural landscape of the Pays de la Loire.

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