Courtanvaux Castle

It is really not by chance that we come to the Château de Courtanvaux.

In Latin “curtis in valle” (courtyard in the valley), it lives up to its name. It is nestled in the hollow of the Ruisseaux valley near the town of Bessé-sur-Braye.

A municipality which became the owner of the estate in 1978.

The history of the castle goes back at least to 1332. Since the 11th century, it has never been sold but has been passed down by inheritance or marriage within four families. Until 1978, when the town bought it two years after the death of the last owner, Pierre de Montesquiou-Fezensac.

Does this name mean nothing to you? The de Montesquiou-Fezensac, originally from the region Gers, belong to the younger branch of the house of Montesquiou, one of the oldest in France known as d'Artagnan.

These distant cousins of the mother of the famous musketeer Charles de Batz de Castelmore (who later became the hero of Alexandre Dumas) are the fourth (and last) family linked to the Château de Courtanvaux. It was the de Montesquiou who undertook the neo-Gothic restoration of the castle in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Indoor telephone, gas lighting, running water, modern kitchen and bathrooms make life more comfortable.

Forced air central heating reduces fireplaces to a decorative role.

Under an old staircase, a magnificent troubadour-style library has been built.

On the first floor, the walls have been partially knocked down between four rooms to create an impressive 47 meter long row allowing the organization of large parties. A beautiful space still used today for weddings.

The largest of these four salons is decorated with no less than 150 coats of arms painted on the wall. Their particularity: each one bears the first names and names of women who have married a family member. A real history book that covers several hundred years. Among these names is that of Louise-Charlotte-Françoise Le Tellier, wife of Anne-Elisabeth-Pierre de Montesquiou-Fezensac (mayor of Besse-sur-Braye from 1819 to 1834 and president of the Sarthe General Council from 1826 to 1833). Louise was known as "Maman Quiou", emotional nickname given by the King of Rome (son of Napoleon I) of which she was the governess.

The heirs of Pierre de Montesquiou-Fezensac, who opened the castle to the public in 1963, put it up for sale after his death.

In 1978, thanks to state support, the small town of Bessé-sur-Braye became the owner of the site with its castle, various buildings, gardens and a 68-hectare park for an amount of one million three hundred twenty thousand francs.

The area has a cultural and tourist vocation. The exteriors are accessible free of charge all year round. Which is perfect for walks, picnics, hikes…

Several events are organized throughout the year such as the plant exhibition and other festivals. From May to September, guided tours allow you to discover the interior of the castle.