Construction of the mansion Après 1533 (≈ 1533)
Renaissance architecture after destruction castle fort
1806
Interior decoration
Interior decoration 1806 (≈ 1806)
Wood and stucco by Pierre-Louis David
1er juin 1987
MH classification
MH classification 1er juin 1987 (≈ 1987)
Registration houses, towers and outbuildings
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The castle, the tower of the former dovecote in the courtyard of honor, the pavilion of the vegetable garden, the fence walls with their gates of ironwork (cad. A 382, 384, 387): entry by order of 1 June 1987
Key figures
Pierre-Louis David - Angevin Ornemanist
Author of the woodwork Louis XVI
Pierre-Jean David (David d'Angers) - Sculptor beginner
Bas-relief *Winter* (1806)
Origin and history
The Mansion Le Châtelet, located in Fontaine-Milon (present-day Mazé-Milon) in Maine-et-Loire, is a testimony of Renaissance architecture. Built after 1533, it consists of a house body framed by two towers with peppers, typical of the first Renaissance. This mansion stands as a symbol of local power, dominating the village since the 16th century.
In the early 19th century, in 1806, the manor house underwent major interior transformations. Ornemanist Pierre-Louis David, native of Angers, decorates the main pieces of woodwork and stucco in the Louis XVI and Directoire styles. His son, Pierre-Jean David (later David d'Angers), made one of his first known bas-reliefs, L'Hiver, adorning a doortop of the salon. This early work, alongside his father, marks the beginnings of the famous sculptor.
The mansion also preserves traces of its medieval past: a 12th century castle, now extinct, was close to the present church. After the Revolution, restored to its owners, the Châtelet was modernized according to the tastes of the time, with panelling, haze and Empire wallpaper. These adjustments reflect the evolution of the lifestyles of the angeline aristocracy between the Ancient Regime and the 19th century.
Ranked a historic monument in 1987, the mansion protects not only its home and towers, but also remarkable elements such as the dovecote or iron gates. These protections underline its heritage importance, both for its Renaissance architecture and for its interior decoration associated with David d'Angers, a major figure in French sculpture.
