Lassay Castle

En un regard

Le château en bref

In Saint-Michel-de-Chavaignes, in the Sarthe part of the Perche, Lassay Castle should not be confused with the fortress of Lassay-les-Châteaux, in Mayenne. It is a moated castle, with its moats filled with water fed by the Nogue, whose existence is attested as early as the 13th century. At the beginning of the 16th century, the union of four estates made it the seat of a seigneurie, and its defences were reinforced between the late 15th and early 16th centuries: two round towers, known as the Tour de la Justice and the Tour de l'Audience, and a square tower, as well as a chapel built into the east wall. The main residence was rebuilt in the 18th century. In 1897, the sculptors Léon and Hélène Bertaux had a studio in the neo-Gothic style built there; Hélène Bertaux is known for having secured the opening of the École des Beaux-Arts to women. The roof timber framework was restored in 2007, and several outbuildings received the label of the Fondation du patrimoine in 2011. Since 2001, the castle has belonged to Thierry and Sandrine Dusonchet.