User:PauSchu/Château du Plessis-Macé



Château du Plessis-Macé is a medieval fortress that was remodeled as a leisure house at the very beginning of the Renaissance. It is located in the former commune Le Plessis-Macé that was merged into the new commune of Longuenée-en-Anjou in the Maine-et-Loire department, in the Pays-de-la-Loire region.

From the 11th century to the 18th century, The Plessis-Macé estate has successively belonged to four families related by marriage : The Plessis family, the la Haye-Joulain family, the de Beaumont family and the du Bellay family.

Mathew or Macé founded the motte-and-bailey castle in the 11th century and gave his name to the estate. In 1440, [II de Beaumont-Bressuire|Louis de Beaumont] (1407-1477), chamberlain of Louis XI, began the reconstruction of the fortress that was partly ruined after the Hundred Years' War. The medieval castle was remodeld into a flamboyant style. The large walls are pierced with windows and turrets are added on the towers, two balconies are added on the seignorial dwelling. He also built a new dungeon where the former one from the 12th century stood.

After Louis de Beaumont's death, his son, Thibault inherited the estate. He continued his father's work by extending the castle's moat. He served the king in his wars against Brittany. In 1487, he received Charles VIII Il in the the castle. Thibault never had children, he bequeathed the castle and all his belongings to his brother-in-law, Eustache du Bellay in 1510.

Eustache du Bellay was chamberlain of René of Anjou and was later chamberlain of Louis XII. He is the grandfather of the poet Joachim du Bellay and the uncle of the cardinal du Bellay, bishop of Paris, ambassador of Francis I beside Henry VIII.

After stayig in the du Bellay family for over 170 years, in 1678, Antoine du Bellay sold the castle to Guillaume III Bautru to pay his debts.

In 1908, the owners sold the castle to the historian Charles-Victor Langlois (1863-1929). His son donated the castle to the French state in 1962.

Today, the castle is where the festival d'Anjou takes place every year.