Château de Laval

About

The Château de Laval is a castle located in Laval, in the French department of Mayenne. Its foundation in the 11th century allowed the birth of the city. An emblematic monument of Laval, it occupies a rocky promontory over the Mayenne River.

It consists of two distinct sets: the Old Castle, which corresponds to the medieval castle, and the Château Neuf, a Renaissance gallery transformed into a courthouse in the 19th century. These two monuments are among the first 1,034 monuments listed on the List of Historic Monuments Protected in 1840. The history of the Château de Laval is intimately linked to that of the Maison de Laval, which appeared with Guy I, founder of the Château.

The monument bears witness to the many alliances that this family has entered into, as well as to its growing power from the 11th century until its disappearance at the end of the Renaissance. The Old Castle is remarkable for its 12th century chapel as well as for its imposing master tower, covered with a 13th century wooden sturd, an exceptional example of medieval military architecture. The richly worked bays of the medieval home, realized at the beginning of the sixteenth century, and the gallery...