Manoir de la Chaperonnière
ManorHidden Treasure
Manoir de la Chaperonnière, located in Beaupréau-en-Mauges (Maine-et-Loire), is a Renaissance château built in the 16th century. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- Manor
- Period
- Renaissance (16th century)
- Location
- Beaupréau-en-Mauges, Maine-et-Loire, Pays de la Loire
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.1981, -0.9289
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00109137
Nestling in the Mauges region of Anjou, the manor house of La Chaperonnière boasts late 15th-century Gothic civil architecture, with its entrance tower decorated with the coats of arms of the du Plessis and de la Rochefoucault families.
History
In the heart of the Mauges bocage, in the commune of Beaupréau-en-Mauges in Maine-et-Loire, the Manoir de la Chaperonnière stands as a rare and precious example of Angevin seigneurial architecture from the second half of the 15th century. Listed twice as a Historic Monument, in 1978 and 2020, it epitomises this pivotal period, when the flamboyant Gothic style was beginning to give way to the first Renaissance sensibilities, without ever abandoning its fundamental medieval elegance. What makes La Chaperonnière truly singular is the presence of its carved coat of arms above the door of the entrance tower: the coats of arms of Jehan II du Plessis and Guyonne de la Rochefoucault, the presumed builders of the manor house, constitute a heraldic document of exceptional value. Few residences from this period have preserved such a legible marital and dynastic testimony, directly anchored in stone. Visitors are invited to immerse themselves in the world of a small, ambitious provincial nobility, far removed from the splendour of the great royal residences but driven by the same aspiration to representation and prestige. The sober volumes, the quality of the local tufa stone bonding and the silhouette of the tower give the building an architectural dignity that blends harmoniously with the rolling landscape of the Maugeois bocage. The surrounding countryside, typical of the Mauges region, with its hedgerows, sunken lanes and gentle meadows, invites you to take a contemplative stroll around the estate. The light of Anjou, legendary for its gentleness, bathes the pale stone of the manor house in a particularly striking atmosphere in the morning or late afternoon. Beyond its architectural value, La Chaperonnière is a living fragment of the history of the Anjou nobility, with its Breton and Poitevin influences, in a region later marked by the convulsions of the Vendée War. To visit this manor house is to reconnect with an aristocratic rural France whose traces are gradually disappearing.
Architecture
The Manoir de la Chaperonnière belongs to the body of civil Gothic architecture in Anjou from the second half of the 15th century, a style characterised by the sobriety of the volumes, the quality of the stonework and a keen sense of seigniorial representation. The main building has the typical features of a noble dwelling from this period: rectangular main building, steeply pitched roof, mullioned windows and openings arranged in a hierarchy according to the size of the rooms. The most remarkable feature is undoubtedly the entrance tower, which is both a symbolic defensive device and a heraldic manifesto. Above the doorway, the coats of arms of Jehan II du Plessis and Guyonne de la Rochefoucault bear witness to the care taken with the sculpted decoration and the importance attached to displaying the family identity. The tower, which is circular or semi-circular in the Anjou tradition, probably incorporates a spiral staircase serving the upper levels, a recurring feature in the region's seigniorial architecture. The materials used are those dictated by the local geology: tuffeau, the soft, luminous limestone characteristic of the Loire Valley and its margins, perhaps combined with slate schist from the Mauges for certain parts of the building. The roof, undoubtedly covered in slate from the Angers region, contributes to the chromatic contrast between the blonde stone and the dark blue of the roofing, a visual harmony that is emblematic of Anjou's architectural heritage.
Related Figures
Famille Chaperon — puissante lignée angevine, propriétaire originelle de la terre à laquelle elle donna son nomJehan II du Plessis — co-constructeur présumé du manoir actuel dans la seconde moitié du XVe siècleGuyonne de la Rochefoucault — épouse de Jehan II du Plessis, co-fondatrice du manoir, issue de l'illustre maison de la RochefoucaultLouis XI — roi de France sous le règne duquel l'Anjou fut rattaché à la couronne (1480), contexte politique du manoirRené d'Anjou — dernier duc d'Anjou, figure tutélaire de la culture gothique angevine au XVe siècle
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Manoir de la Chaperonnière located?
Manoir de la Chaperonnière is located in Beaupréau-en-Mauges, Maine-et-Loire department, Pays de la Loire region, France.
When was Manoir de la Chaperonnière built?
Manoir de la Chaperonnière dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Manoir de la Chaperonnière open to visitors?
Manoir de la Chaperonnière is currently closed to visitors.