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Château de Doué-la-Fontaine, Doué-la-Fontaine

Motte castrale de Doué-la-Fontaine

Doué-la-Fontaine

Access

No visits on recordNo opening hours or ticketing found

Where
Doué-la-Fontaine

To make a day of it

Open within 20 km

Sleep nearby

This week in the agenda

Château de Doué-la-Fontaine stands in Doué-la-Fontaine (Maine-et-Loire), in the Pays de la Loire region of France. The building is listed as a historic monument (dating recorded in the Mérimée database: 9th century, 10th century, third quarter of the 15th century). No visits are on record for this building.

At Doué-la-Fontaine, a low earthen mound conceals one of the oldest surviving stone fortifications in France: a great carolingian hall from the early 10th century, converted into a defensive tower after a fire, then buried under a mound in the following century to strengthen it. Excavations begun in 1967 uncovered the thick walls of the original hall, a kitchen whose plastered walls still bear graffiti of figures and religious scenes, and an underground quarry originally dug to extract stone sarcophagi before the building itself was raised. Visitors come here to trace, within a compact archaeological site, the shift from a count's residence to a fortified stronghold.

Written from Château de Doué-la-Fontaine

What to know

  • The site consists of archaeological remains (the mound and keep) rather than a furnished or inhabited château.
  • The visit takes place partly outdoors and partly underground, including access to a stone quarry, so sturdy footwear is advisable.
  • The monument has been a listed historic monument since 1973.
  • Its interest lies in its architectural rarity, as one of the oldest known stone castles in France, rather than in its scale.

Where this château is

Doué-la-Fontaine · Maine-et-Loire · Pays de la Loire

Map of the area around Château de Doué-la-Fontaine

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This châteauChâteaux within 40 km

Address

Doué-la-Fontaine, Maine-et-Loire

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

Get directionsView on a map

Heritage status
Listed historic monument (classé)
Mérimée record PA00109089
Period of construction
9th century, 10th century, third quarter of the 15th century

Base map © IGN, Géoplateforme

In pictures

Frequently asked

Can you visit the château de Doué-la-Fontaine like a furnished castle?
No, the site consists of archaeological remains, a mound and the remnants of a keep, not a furnished château.
What is the origin of the château de Doué-la-Fontaine?
The building began as a large carolingian hall in the early 10th century, later converted into a fortified tower and then covered with an earthen mound.
Why is this site significant in castle history?
It is considered one of the oldest known stone castles in France, and excavations starting in 1967 are seen as founding work for medieval archaeology.
Is there an underground part to visit?
Excavations uncovered an underground quarry originally used to extract stone sarcophagi and later as a cellar, accessible during the visit.

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Sources

Identity, location and official references from Wikidata and the Mérimée register.

Within an hour’s drive

The most visited in this department — Maine-et-Loire