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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The castle of Raguin, located in Chazé-sur-Argos (Maine-et-Loire), finds its origins in a 15th century mansion, built before 1482. This modest house, typical of the Angelvin manor houses, consisted of two rooms on the ground floor and two bedrooms upstairs, served by a screw staircase. The original structure, though transformed, remains partially legible in the current building.

At the beginning of the seventeenth century, around 1607, the house was enlarged by a north-east pavilion, doubling its surface and giving it a monumental look. This extension, marked by a staircase in tuft and schist with caisson vaults, justified the castle name. The elevations were redesigned to suit the tastes of the era, while a painted decor from the mid-17th century embellished the rooms.

The changes continued in the 18th and 19th centuries: a gallery and a stair tower, added by architect Henri Mellet around 1880, facilitated the movement of staff. A west pavilion was erected in 1909. The estate once consisted of a chapel, a dovecote, and two mills (water and windmills), now gone. The communes, dating from the late 16th or early 17th century, housed stables and domestic housing.

Ranked as a Historical Monument in 1992 (façades, roofs, gate) and then in 1994 (inner parts of the two rooms), the castle served as a decor for the film La Passion de Dodin Bouffant (2023) by Treven Anh Hùng. Its history reflects the architectural evolution of the seigneurial residences in Anjou, from the medieval mansion to the classical castle.

The place of Raguin is attested as early as 1417, with a first mansion located nearby. In 1619, the lord obtained permission to raise a portal with drawbridge, symbolizing his status. Archaeological remains and archives reveal a continuous occupation, marked by successive adaptations to the needs of the owners and architectural modes.

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