Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The priory of Château-l'Hermitage, affiliated with the order of Saint-Augustin, was founded in the 12th century thanks to the donations of Geoffroy Plantagenet, Count of Maine and Anjou. Its Prioral Notre-Dame church, built in two countrysides (XII and XIII centuries), combines a massive 42-metre bell tower and an angeline Gothic choir with octopartite vaults. The interior decorations, such as the carved stalls of the 15th century or the 16th century murals (including a Virgin of Mercy and a Saint Christophe), bear witness to her rich artistic heritage.

Fortified during the Hundred Years' War, the Priory became a strategic place between English Normandy and the Loire Valley. It suffered fire and looting (1356-1370), before being restored in the 17th and 18th centuries by the genovéfain canons. The Revolution dispersed its 2,800 works and sold some of the buildings as national property. Today, the chapel and four spans of the cloister (XII century) have been classified as historical monuments since 1964, while the rest has been inscribed since 1926.

Among the figures related to the site, René de Daillon du Lude (Bishop of Bayeux and Commodore Prior in the 16th century) financed works, and Marie du Bueil (15th century), sister of Jean V de Bueil, rested there in an adorned fire. The priory also illustrates medieval conflicts, such as the battles between Gilles de Rais and Jean de Bueil, or the fire of 1370 followed by the French victory at Pontvallain. Its architecture thus combines religious, military and seigneurial functions.

The convent buildings, rebuilt in the seventeenth century, housed a library and outbuildings (metalworks, mills). After 1790, a part was demolished or converted to town hall and housing. Acquired by André Pottier in 1982, the site was restored before being transferred to the diocesan association of Le Mans in 2000. Today, it retains remarkable elements such as a 17th century confessional, 1606 mural paintings, and an 18th century wrought iron grid.

External links