When was Chelé castle built?

A Romanesque keep forms the ancient nucleus of the site. In the mid-13th century, a significant seigniorial residence was adjoined to it, featuring a great hall with traces of wall painting.

What exactly can be seen on the ground today?

The keep, vestiges of the seigniorial dwelling, a gatehouse, two chapels (one integrated into the hall, the other separate), moats and a pond, as well as a Gallic monolith in the courtyard.

Does the site really date back to the 7th century?

Yes, Chellé is cited in 616 in the will of Saint-Bertrand, bishop of Le Mans, making it a property of very ancient occupation, well before the Romanesque keep.

Château de Chelé

Chelé Castle

Hambers

Access

No visits on recordNo opening hours or ticketing found

Where: Hambers

To make a day of it

Open within 20 km

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Château de Chelé stands in Hambers (Mayenne), in the Pays de la Loire region of France. The building is registered as a historic monument (dating recorded in the Mérimée database: 13th century). The building is privately owned and no visits are on record.

Chelé castle occupies at Hambers a site of ancient habitation documented from the 7th century. The medieval domain developed around a Romanesque keep to which a seigniorial residence was added in the 13th century. Its remains preserve traces of painted decoration in the great hall, complemented by a gatehouse, two chapels, moats and a pond. The ground potentially contains the original motte and yields evidence of ancient Gallic presence, notably a monolith identified as a stele.

What to know

The site has been fully listed as a historical monument since 2010, including subsurface remains and buried structures.
The architectural vestiges encompass several visitable elements: the keep, the 13th-century residence, the gatehouse, two separate chapels and hydraulic installations.
The site is marked by prehistoric and ancient occupation, with lithic finds and a monolith of Gallic origin preserved in the courtyard.

Where this château is

Hambers · Mayenne · Pays de la Loire

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This châteauChâteaux within 40 km

Address

Hambers, Mayenne

Directions open from wherever you are, by car or public transport.

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Heritage status: Registered historic monument (inscrit); Mérimée record PA53000028
Period of construction: 13th century

Frequently asked

When was Chelé castle built?: A Romanesque keep forms the ancient nucleus of the site. In the mid-13th century, a significant seigniorial residence was adjoined to it, featuring a great hall with traces of wall painting.
What exactly can be seen on the ground today?: The keep, vestiges of the seigniorial dwelling, a gatehouse, two chapels (one integrated into the hall, the other separate), moats and a pond, as well as a Gallic monolith in the courtyard.
Does the site really date back to the 7th century?: Yes, Chellé is cited in 616 in the will of Saint-Bertrand, bishop of Le Mans, making it a property of very ancient occupation, well before the Romanesque keep.