Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Malicorn was originally built in the 12th century with the construction of a fortress to defend the gates of Maine. This strategic site changed hands several times during the Franco-English conflicts: it was taken in 1368 by Robert Knolles, English military chief, before being taken over in 1425 by Ambroise de Loré, a French captain loyal to the king of France. These events illustrate its key role in the regional tensions of the medieval era.

From the 17th century on, the estate became a worldly and cultural place for the Beaumanoir-Lavardin family. The castle then welcomes prominent personalities, like Madame de Sévigné, symbol of the literary and aristocratic spirit of the time. This period coincides with the transformation of the site, which gradually loses its defensive character to become a place of refined sociability.

The present building is rebuilt at the end of the eighteenth century on the remains of the medieval fortress, marking an architectural break with the past. The facades, roofs and interior elements, as well as the park, have been partially protected as historical monuments since 1989. This inscription highlights the heritage value of a site that has traversed nearly nine centuries of history, from the Middle Ages to the modern era.

The official protections relate specifically to the facades and roofs of the castle, the entrance pavilion, the ground floor rooms, the access gate and the park. These elements, inscribed on April 24, 1989, reflect both the architectural heritage of the eighteenth and seventeenth centuries and the older traces of the original fortress. The castle thus embodies a superposition of historical strata, from its military function to its residential and social role.

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