Centre des monuments nationaux

The château de Carrouges, lying on the border of Normandy and the Maine region, acts as a summary of seven centuries of history. It is surrounded by water-filled moats and the apartments lying behind its sober pink brick and granite facades retain all the charm of an inhabited residence.

Visiting the château de Carrouges 

• The charm of a family château. The château stayed in the hands of the same family from the 14th century until 1936. It is a warm and welcoming place thanks to the fine Renaissance and Bourbon Restoration furniture and the many portraits.

• 10-hectares of grounds. Whilst the park may no longer have all its 17th-century splendour, it is still worthy of interest, with its copses, flowerbeds and orchard. The outstanding mid-17th-century wrought-iron gates were made by a local blacksmith under the supervision of the architect Maurice Gabriel. 

Understanding the château de Carrouges 

• Seven centuries of history. Carrouges started off in the 14th century as a stronghold during the Hundred Years' War (a keep). It became a lordly residence in the 15th century (the Blosset wing), and in the 16th century a gatehouse tower was added, considered to be the first sign of Renaissance architecture in Normandy. It was refortified during the Wars of Religion (west bastion), before its role as a prestigious residence was reaffirmed in the late 16th century with the construction of two ‘classical' wings and associated staircases by the architect François Gabriel. 

• Famous guests. The lords of Carrouges played host to King Louis XI in 1473 and to Catherine de Médicis and her retinue in 1570.