Castle-Gontier

Castle-Gontier is a common French, located in the department of the Mayenne and the area Pays of the Loire.

The inhabitants of Castle-Gontier are the castrogontériens .

Geography

Cité du High-Anjou, crossed by the Mayenne, Castle-Gontier is a sub-prefecture of the Mayenne, located in the Mayenne angevine, to 30 km in the south of Laval which is the Préfecture of this department and with 40km in the north of Angers.

The agglomeration of Castle-Gontier joins together the boroughs of Bazouges, Azé and Saint-Extremely. The unit gathers around: 26000 inhabitants.

History

Feudality

The count of Anjou Foulque Nerra gave the field of Bazouges to the Benedictines of Saint-Aubin of Angers. they built the priory of Jean-Baptiste Saint. Foulque Nerra, wanting to reinforce its borders with the Brittany, decided to make raise a castle. In 1007, it entrusted the guard of it to the sior Gontier, a Vassal of Foulques III Nerra. Louis Halphen mentions: the donation of the field and the church, 988 - 999; construction by Foulques Nerra of the castle towards 1007, approximate date, raising a fort initially, then beginning a large keep which it lets complete by Renaud, wire of Yves.

Founded around the keep built at the 11th century by Foulques Nerra, one of the large builders of the the Middle Ages. Thereafter, Castle-Gontier will become a baronnie with the profit of Lord Renaud.

List of the lords of Castle-Gontier

In fact, the city was one of those which Conan II of Brittany, duke of Brittany, which had declared the war with the count d' Anjou, besieged in 1066. She succumbed, says Guillaume de Jumièges, but the winner who, of Castle-Gontier even, had caused William the Conqueror, died while entering the place, poisoned, says one, by an emissary of terrible Norman. Twenty years later, in 1085, Castrogontériens are in war with the Laval laws, without one knowing, of this quarrel, the cause nor the continuations.

The baronnie of Castle-Gontier offers this historically interesting characteristic that its northern limit was like undecided between Maine and Anjou. The civil authority and feudal of the count d' Anjou had encroached by right of conquest on the territory manceau, before the 11th century, but at one time when the parishes were already made up. Also the bishop of Mans it had maintained its jurisdiction on the extent of its diocese.

Baronnie of Castle-Gontier

13th century

Dom Morice reformed Dom Lobineau which put Castle-Gontier at the number of the places taken and ransacked by Raoul de Chester, English chief with the service of Pierre Mauclerc, duke of Brittany, in 1230; it acts, in the text of the historian Mathieu Paris, of the Château of Gonnor.

Councils of Castle-Gontier

In this time starts for Castle-Gontier, so favorably located at the center of the ecclesiastical province of Tours, which one can call the era of the councils.

Juhel de Mathefelon joins together there its suffragan in 1231 - 1232 and writes there thirty-seven guns, whose last confirms the statutes of a preceding council held in Laval. The councils held with Saumur, 1253, to Nantes, 1264, to Langey, 1270, others still, recalled, by renewing them, the enacted disciplinary rules with Castle-Gontier.

the assembly chaired by Pierre de Lamballe, in 1253, decides that one of its guns will be applicable as from next Passover, which makes suppose that it took place in January, February or March 1254. The only gun which one knows relates to the abuse the apostolic letters; it was renewed in Langey in 1270.

the synod held under Vincent de Pirmil, the July 23rd 1268, wrote eight guns, of which several are recalled to Langey (1270) and to Castle-Gontier (1320); the official of Angers, in 1309, calls upon also the excommunication carried then against the invaders of the ecclesiastical goods.

a council, joined together in 1281, is recalled to Saumur in 1315. No historian referred there; the bishops at this meeting in Saumur mention of this council only one gun on excommunications, of which they seem to dispute exactitude. These circumstances would make it possible to revoke in doubt the existence even council, if it were probable that the Fathers of 1315 could be unaware of a fact passed in 1281.

Of the Monday to Wednesday before the festival of the Pulpit of Pierre saint to Antioche (17 - February 19th 1299, N. S.) took place a synod to which the bishops of Mans and Fraud did not assist, in litigation for precedence.

In 1320, new assembly which enacts twelve very important guns, though Dom Piolin says that one knows any no, misled in that by Maan which twice publishes them at the years 1300 and 1320 and allots them to an alleged council held in Saumur. But the councils of Angers (1365) and of Nantes (1431) expressly give them like articles of the council of Castle-Gontier.

the synod of 1336 is also recalled by those of Angers and Nantes. Bourdigné makes of it also mention. Jean Gaultier de Bridon, senior with the Room of the accounts of Brittany, died in 1596, had the acts of them. Barthélemy Roger still speaks about a council, held by the archbishop Jean Bernard (1412 - 1466), “ in which it was made beautiful payments which are with the cabinets of the curious ”, but these words, borrowed partly from Bourdigné, refer to the council 1336.

14th century

In January 1343 (N. S.), Philippe VI of Valois passed to Castle-Gontier at the time of the War of succession of Brittany. In 1343, salt becomes a state monopoly by an ordinance of the king, who institutes the gabelle , the tax on salt. The Anjou belongs large to the countries of gabelle and includes/understands sixteen special courts or attics with salt , of which that of Castle-Gontier.

As of 1362, the English ran all the country, they came several times to Castle-Gontier before March 1363, according to the lawsuit of a prisoner who had been obliged to haggle over with them horses and of weapons, because it could not differently have paid its ransom. Another partisan or truck driver tells that while the enemies were held with the country of Castle-Gontirt, the king having ordered with those of lowland to withdraw itself in the city with their goods and vivres so that they were not used to maintain the English, other young people as held the countryside for the king to him, and than when they had exhausted their provisions, they lived goods found in the houses and that one regarded as abandoned.

In 1363, the war prevails around the city, where many reviews of men-at-arms are done. Guillaume Chamaillard says to be seized Castle-Gontier, on the English undoubtedly, before 1364.

Benefitting from the arrival of Edmond de Langley, count de Cambridge, who went in Guyenne to the help of Edouard de Woodstock, Prince de Galles, his brother, the English garrison of Vire, ordered by Jean Cressewel made a race with Castle-Contier and seized some by trick, the August 17th 1368, market day. The English captain accepted with Castle-Gontier, in September, a company of French gendarmes which brought back the hostages delivered by him for him as guarantee of the rendering of Transfers. In 1368, the English dismantle the castle partially. The March 5th 1369, Robert Beverle is sent of London on mission to Castle-Gontier. A treaty had passed shortly after in virtue of which Cressewel would evacuate the place realizing ransom, and Guillaume Becquet was charged to raise of them the sums of money in the dioceses of Mans and Angers. When it carried out the payment of it, in July 1369, the sum was not sufficient, it had to deliver to the horses of the troop which it brought with him. Finally the English left before the August 3rd 1369. Amaury IV of Craon had raised a many troop knights and riders to continue them. The city had largely suffered from this long occupation.

15th century

One complains in 1411 about what Jean, duke of Alençon, and its allies had left the city “ largely and extremely ruined ”. In 1421, Thomas Montaigu, Count de Salisbury came to make a race in Anjou and “ by one night overlapped with grant power until Chasteaugontier front for cuider to enter the city, which had been opened by aucuns; but the company was discovered and are reflected those of the city in guard and defense, so much that was not taken, but the suburbs were plundered ”. One showed on this occasion one named Cardinet of the Plants to have organized an ambush where fell a troop from French, “ people of communes” little aguerris, which involved in spite of him Jean de Champagne their chief.

The city was some time occupied by the English in 1434; about the middle of the year, Jean Allain who was captive there asks for a leave to find the finance of his ransom and to bring back it. Charles VII, when he wanted to put discipline in the bands of flayer S which devastated France, assigned, in 1439, Castle-Gontier like residence with the one of the most dreaded chiefs, Jean Blanchefort, which, fortunately for the inhabitants, was bored soon its inaction and left to join the revolted dolphin. It is with Castle-Gontier that met the captains angevins and manceaux: Andre de Lohéac, Louis and Jean V of Bueil, the lord of Varennes, which, wanting to help the French besieged in Pouancé, went to be made beat in Bourgneuf of Saint-Quentin, in November 1443, not to have awaited the reinforcements announced by the count de Richemont which had come to join them.

Louis XI, during his negotiations with the duke of Brittany, remained a long time on the borders of the Brittany. Two of its letters, from the 23 and of August 25th, are gone back to Castle-Gontier. Charles VIII spent April there 1487, it was there still the May 2nd, before coming to Laval, and at the beginning of the following year part of the troops convened under the orders of Louis II of Trémoille concentrated in its walls. The seneshal of Resident of Agen and the captain of Silly make there, in March, the watch of noble in order to “the choaisir those which seroient people to serve ”. The city becomes in one June of the stores of the army at the time when the decisive blow will be carried against the duke of Brittany, with the Bataille of Saint-Aubin-of-Cormier the.

16th century

Protestantism

At the 16th century, the Protestantisme had members and formed a party with Castle-Gontier as of the beginning of the disorders. In 1561, a royal decree defended with the religionnaires to be assembled there because of seditions which they caused. Michel Trioche was minister in there 1563, and the consistory maintained a pedagog or magister there. The huguenots of Castle-Gontier lent hand-strong to their co-religionists to seize Angers in the night of the Low Sunday 1562 . At the time of the second disorders, “the huguenots, known as Louvet, started at their assembly to take the weapons: which took the town of Castle-Gontier, where they made grants devastations, pilleries and flyings and ransacked all around the aforementioned city That occurred on September 1st 1568. Towards the end of the month, Mr. de Leaumont, sior of Puy-Strapping man, wanting to make return the city in the order and to oblige it to contribute to the expenses of the war with the inhabitants of Angers, sent the sior of Chavigny, “ to which the doors were closed by the inhabitants; what estant, the aforementioned sior of Puy-Strapping man informed there went in person with troops to which they closed the aforementioned doors. What indicator, the aforementioned sior made them break with blows of axe and there entered, and put companies in the city, oultre the number which there estoit. ” the receiver of the chapter of Saint-Just notes at that time, that the disorders which reign in all the kingdom put it in impossibility of giving aucuns sums of money to the canons. The March 22nd 1576, “ Mr. de Lavardin, which estoit of the party of the roy of Navarre against the roy, estoit with Chasteaugontier, with troops, known as Louvet, which plundered and devastated feed it ”.

In 1577, Castle-Gontier becomes the seat of an election, as well as royal Sénéchaussée in 1595. One quotes in 1583 a Protestant minister of Castle-Gontier, Jean Malsource, but its church, rather precarious, was not joined together in the city.

1589

In April 1589, the members of a league of the city went to besiege the garrison of huguenots or royal which occupied the castle close to Ingrandes. The May 6th, Saturday, eight hundred men led by Mr. de Commeronde started from Castle-Gontier and went up to two miles of Angers, at the village of Épinard, where they were held during three days, “ so much, said a chronicler, that the war is never veue such ”. The action of the garrison of Castle-Gontier where ordered Louis de Champagné, sior of Roussière, extended indeed in a rather broad ray. Mr. de Beaulieu who formed part of it occupied the Lion-in Angers and Rochepot having come to dislodge it could seize well the borough, but without forcing the church where a handle of soldiers had been withdrawn with their chief. They held good until help them having come from Castle-Gontier, Rochepot was obliged to leave the place, after having lost sixty men, and bringing back “ the remainder put in white, their horses and weapons lost ”, discouraged and saying high that they could never make a success of of anything “ of as long as they went against the catholics ”.

Louis de Champagné who held for the Members of a league with Castle-Gontier, in 1589, did not withdraw without resistance in front of the troops of Henri IV; he capitulated the December 8th and is authorized to leave the city with all his soldiers, beating drum and matches lit. He is replaced by Joachim of Chesnaie, lord of the Moor of Niafle which calls in the town of “ large garrisons ” and is made “ great liftings of sums of money ” on the inhabitants.

One should not apply to Castle-Gontier does it surprise of the castle by Jacques Ernault who, being prisoner there, would have managed to disarm the soldiers. This event refers to Craon. After the catch of the Mans by Henri IV in December 1589 and the rendering of Laval, Castle-Gontier was subjected and remained with the capacity the royal ones until after the Bataille of Craon.

1592

17th century

What marks for the country of Castle-Gontier the reign of Louis XIII they are the diseases, food shortages and misfortunes which the passages of troops brought, those of the king or those of the rebels. In 1612 and 1613 the Dysentery, in 1625, 1627, other contagious diseases, make devastations; by prudence one prohibits the passers by from entering downtown, the inhabitants of Angers are especially excluded, and one wants to receive the messenger himself only after one forty twenty-four hours in the countryside; refugees Norman S, rather many downtown, are expelled.

By order of the municipality of the September 18th 1626, one made transport the patients to the small estate of Wood-Pled in padlocked houses; those which looked after the pestiferous ones were to carry the casaques ones of trilles or black buckram with white crosses, and not to never enter in communication with the inhabitants. The food shortage besides united with the plague. The period of 1630 with 1639 was not tested. When the contagion did not reign in the walls, it reigned in the suburbs or in Bazouges. August 1638 in May 1639, one built huts with the large meadows of the city to relegate the “infected to it ”, which looked after a surgeon, the capuchins and the priests.

In 1628, the cardinal of Richelieu, ghost of La Rochelle for Paris, of passage to Castle-Gontier, orders the destruction of the ruins of the castle. In 1639, Under the Old Mode, the secondary seneschalsy of Castle-Gontier (dependant on the principal seneschalsy of Angers becomes the seat of a Présidial or royal court whose various courts cover all its jurisdiction for the criminal cases and of Public law.

Castle-Gontier, which was on the way of Angers, where the fights of the minority of Louis XIII were especially felt, and in the vicinity of Craon, property of the Prince de Condé, could not miss suffering the consequence des.événements. The prince of Condé was accepted the November 11th 1613 and was placed with the expenses of the inhabitants in the “ home of Mr Hilland ”, or rather Héliand. But soon the noises of war burst, the roles take shape. The council of city decides, the February 12th 1614, that the inhabitants will assemble the guard day and night for the service of the king, while waiting for the orders of Mr. of Boisdauphin; that one will make provision of weapons and powder and that the doors will be kept carefully. The August 5th, the city sends a delegation to their Majesties in Angers. Alleviated one moment, the disorders begin again soon.

The king written, the July 31st 1615, with the governor and the inhabitants of Castle-Gontier which one makes good guard, because of the “ distrust which the king of Mister has the prince of Condé, assisted dukes of Longueville, Mayenne, Saint-Paul and the marshal of Bubble, which refused to accompany the king on a his journey by Guyenne ” ahead of of the future queen Anne of Austria. The troops of the Duc of Vendôme occupied the neighbouring parishes in February 1616, under the control of the captains of the Bar, of Bouchet and others. Faithful to the orders of Its Majesty, the inhabitants decide, the February 9th, that it to them will be provided neither bread nor wine.

In 1620, the queen-mother foments the revolt in her government of Anjou to lead to the failure of the Bridge-of-C (August 7th). The following year, the duke of Vendôme, his partisan, still plundered the countryside between Castle-Gontier and Craon; the queen was forced to send against her bands Mr. de Marillac and to drive out it of Anjou. The city was occupied during the Fronde, in the name of the Parliament, by the regiment of the Duc of Trémoïlle under the orders of the marquis of the Bar; but no act of war marks for the country this revolt neither in its first nor in its second phase, though the March 23rd and the April 24th 1656, the nobility, joined together with Lion-in Angers then with Ingrandes, still appointed with the king the lords of Magnannes and Brossinière, to complain about the policy of Mazarin.

In 1692, a house of city is made up following a royal edict. (a provost, a knight of the guet, a lieutenant of the Marshals of France, a prosecutor of the king a clerk and archers are affected there).

18th century

A band of false-saulniers ordered by named Ravard, the Leech and Lamoureux, of the Borough-the Bishop, held the constabulary in continual alarm in 1707 - 1708, supported, said the large provost of Angers, by the population and even by the priests. A detachment of riders was in garrison with Castle-Gontier during the winter of 1708.

The band did not count in 1709 any more that ten men on whom six were taken the January 16th 1710. Drouet, one of most frightening, was to it the next month. There were fifteen executions; the least guilty engaged in a regiment of Basse-Normandie. The 18th century offers only its quota of food shortages, of bad harvests, 1709, 1724, 1752, of epidemic diseases, expensive garrisons, and also of religious ceremonies, of which one of most outstanding was the mission of 1716.

French revolution

At the time of the French revolution, on November 11th 1789, the Constituent Assembly orders to the deputies old French provinces to act in concert, in order to set up a network of new departments of approximately 324 square miles, that is to say 6.561 km actuels.
meetings are held at once in the hotel of the duke of Choiseul-Praslin, deputy of the nobility of the Sénéchaussée of Angers. About thirty deputies of the three provinces components the Généralité of Turns (Anjou, Maine and Touraine) present plan to reassign territories with the Poitou and to subdivide the field remaining in four departments, around the traditional capitals, Tours, Angers and Mans, and around the town of Laval, which would recover grounds of Maine and Anjou (Seneschalsy of Castle-Gontier plus the country of Craon).

In 1790, part of the High-Anjou (Castle-Gontier and Craon) will be separated from the remainder from the Anjou to form the department of the Mayenne with part of the Maine. Since, this part of the High-Anjou is called the Mayenne angevine.

Administration

Demography

Absorbs in 1809 Bazouges, Saint-Rémy and Azé.
Yields between 1810 - 1820 Bazouges and Azé.
joins Bazouges in 1990.
Amalgamates in 2006 with Bazouges.

Economy

Famous characters

Conan II of Brittany, duke of Brittany;
Tancrède Abraham, artist-painter and illustrator;
Jean Stuffed, treasurer of Louis XI;
Claude Cahour, Madam Georges Pompidou;
Lucie Delarue-Mardrus, writer;
Louis de Farcy, historian;
Paul de Farcy, historian;
Simon Hayneufve, architect and painter;
Charles Ledroit;
the general Emile Lemonnier (1893 - 1945);
Marius Lepage (1902 - 1972), freemason, writer;
Marie-Sophie Leroyer de Chantepie, writer;
Charles Loyson (1791 - 1819), romantic poet;
Olivier Peslier, jockey;
Mathieu Pinault, lawyer and magistrate;
Horace-Rémy Trave, musician, violonist;
Louis Nail, politician;
Jean Arthuis, politician;
Pierre-Mathurin Draper the Vendée, companion of Georges Cadoudal.

Tourist monuments and places

the mineral water of the rock of “ Versailles ” were re-elected as of the 14th century.
Walks, known as of the End-of-World, from where one discovers pleasant points of view of
Eglise of the Trinity (XVIIè century)
Couvent of the Ursulines
Eglise Midsummer's Day , of XIè century, cruciform finished by tois Abside S; Crypt under the chorus, central Bell-tower of XIIè century, restored at the XIXè century
Church Saint-Remi , built in the style of XIIIè century, with stone arrow
Hotel Saint-Julien , whose vault dates from the XVIIè century
Refuge of the Arch - refuge animals.
flowered City: 4 flowers allotted by the National council of the Cities and Flowered Villages of France to the Contest of the cities and flowered villages.

Twinnings

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