Castle Le Mans (72) Price: $ 1,061,800 USD

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Surface 400 m² Land 12.8 ha

Ref. 4055: EXCEPTIONAL 15th c. MANOR HOUSE LISTED AS A HISTORIC MONUMENT IN THE SARTHE.
The manor is built in the Sarthe countryside in a peaceful and pleasant location about one kilometre from the village which provides the first services (bakery, grocery shop). It is accessed from this village by a small road on which a dirt road leads to the property. Le Mans, a dynamic university town 20 km away, offers a cultural life and all transport facilities. This region has become a refuge for Parisians who are in need of space but still want to be able to reach the capital easily. In addition, the proximity of the motorway star constituted by the A28 (Rouen-Bordeaux), A11 (Paris-Nantes) and A81 (Paris-Rennes) motorways offers easy prospects for getting away from it all or for family and friends to meet up.
Extensive historical research, carried out on the initiative of the owners, has made it possible to retrace the history of this building, which was the centre of an important seigneury until the French Revolution.
Originally part of the ancient province of Maine, La Poissonnière was a protected site, surrounded by marshes which man transformed into arable land which gradually formed a vast seigneurial reserve around the manor.
In 1261, the first mention of the site is made in a deed between the chapter of the cathedral church of Saint-Julien du Mans and Jean de Luminier, in the presence of the lord of the fief of the same name.
In 1393, Jeanne Cordeau, heiress of the fief, married Olivier I Moreau to whom she brought her estate as a dowry. In 1417, Olivier II Moreau married Agnès du Pont-Aubevoye. Their son Olivier III married Julienne de la Baussonnière in 1438 and Ambroise du Bouchet in 1453. Their eldest son, Jean I, became lord of the place.
Although there is no author's opinion on this subject, the construction of the present manor house could be part of this period in the third quarter of the 15th century. However, it is possible that it was built by John I after his marriage in 1469.
After his marriage in 1545 to Louise de Féchal, François I Moreau, grandson of Jean I, was summoned to prove that he was an officer of the King, a man-at-arms in the company of the Lord of Lude. Successive acknowledgements from the Kings of France prompted him to enlarge his residence and build a new oratory.
For four centuries, the manor house remained in the family of the first owner, Jeanne Cordeau, and did not undergo any significant transformation.François II Moreau married in 1571. He lost his estate in 1597 but bought it back almost immediately by selling part of his land.
He had his knighthood confirmed in 1622. The manor then passed to his son François III Moreau, who passed it on to his son René Moreau, who in 1689 was entered on the roll of the ban and the back ban of the seneschal of Maine.
His son, Félix, inherited the estate and then passed it on to his son, Charles Félix. When he died, apparently in poverty and after a life of debauchery, in 1787, the manor was passed on to his sister who had married Louis-Joseph de Cacquerai de Beauclos. Their children sold the estate in the early 19th century to neighbouring owners.
In 1804, the Cailleau family became the owners. Their last heir left the estate to her niece, Madame de La Vigerie, on her death in 1880. In 1895, the estate was divided and sold to farmers, the Le Breton and Pasquier families.
Having become a simple farm, the manor house reached the 20th century in a very poor state of repair but with all its original authenticity, which has enabled the current owners, with the help of the historic monuments, to carry out an exceptional restoration.
The Poissonnière manor house, typical of late 15th century Gothic architecture, is protected by a moat which can be crossed by a stone and wood standing bridge.
The main façade of the manor house, facing east, is flanked by an octagonal turret containing the stone spiral staircase. Three bays of large mullioned windows topped by high dormer windows illuminate this façade.
The structure has been carefully and completely restored. The interior remains to be fitted out. The exterior rendering reveals in places the roussard stone of which this manor house is built.
It is set out on a rectangular plan 25.5 meters long and 9.5 meters wide and comprises two stories (approx. 200 sqm each) of three large main rooms topped by high attics. These rooms are decorated with monumental stone fireplaces and lit by large cushioned windows (stone benches). The ceilings are of French oak. Interesting and elegant stone carvings remain.
A tower adjoining the south gable of the dwelling houses a rib-vaulted chapel. This chapel, which dates from the 16th century, has preserved some interesting frescoes.
The ensemble has an impressive architectural quality, and all the decorative elements that could be saved have been restored.
Outbuildings dating from the 17th century frame the courtyard and house :
- a very comfortable dwelling house, carefully restored and used as the owners' home during the restoration of the manor. It comprises :
. On the ground floor: a large tiled living room with kitchen, scullery, toilet and washbasin.
. First floor: 3 bedrooms, 3 shower rooms with shower and wc. One of which forms a suite with its dressing room and office space.
This dwelling is extended by a vast space currently used as a barn (90 sqm) and workshop, which the owners had planned to convert into a home.
- Opposite the house is a pretty building that houses the boiler room, 2 large sheds (20 and 29 sqm) and a garage (33 sqm).
- Various buildings used as sheds.
With a surface area of 31.58 acres and crossed by a stream, the grounds provide the manor house with a pleasant environment. The woodlands of various species (approx. 5 ha), the courtyard with its moat, and the meadows that can accommodate horses (approx. 3 ha), provide a varied atmosphere, which, together with the surrounding countryside, form a beautiful setting for this architectural gem.