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Origin and history

Villegran Manor House, also known as Villegrand, is a seigneurial building located in the municipality of La Chapelle-Craonnaise, Mayenne. The first written records date back to 1247 under the name Paganus de Villa Grant, then in 1396 (feages of Villegrand) and 1777 (seigneurial place of Vilgrand). These archives attest to its status as a fief dependent on the seigneury of the Corbière, without specifying its original architectural aspect.

The site is identified as an active seigneurial house in the 17th and 18th centuries, during which time it was inhabited by its owners. Sources mention feudal rights as early as the 14th century, suggesting an ancient noble occupation, but no details are provided on the transformations of the building or its precise role in the local hierarchy.

The departmental archives of Mayenne and the national archives keep documents related to Villegran, including parish registers and notarial acts (E. 146, B. 387, etc.). These sources, cited in the Dictionnaire historique de la Mayenne (Angot & Gaugain, 1900-1910), confirm its importance as a place of local power, without evoking significant events or famous associated characters.

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