Can you visit the château of Thorigné-en-Charnie?

You can access the site of the remains, but it is not a furnished château set up for guided tours.

What remains of the château today?

Three earthwork enclosures with their ditches and the ruins of a square keep with very thick walls.

Who built these fortifications?

They are generally attributed to the Thorigné family, known from the 11th century onward.

Was there a chapel on the site?

A chapel is recorded on old maps, but it disappeared around 1860 and no further information about it survives.

Château de Thorigné-en-Charnie

Thorigné-en-Charnie Castle

Access

No visits on recordNo opening hours or ticketing found

To make a day of it

Open within 20 km

No visits are on record for this building.

On a hilltop at Thorigné-en-Charnie, in the Mayenne department, lie the remains of a medieval fortified complex known locally as the «Châteaux». The site consists of three successive earthwork enclosures protected by ditches, along with a square keep with notably thick walls and a spiral staircase. The complex marks the southeastern end of a line of fortifications built by the viscounts of Maine, likely commissioned by the Thorigné family as early as the 11th century. A chapel recorded on old maps disappeared around 1860.

Written from Château de Thorigné-en-Charnie

What to know

This is a site of earthwork remains and a ruined keep, not an inhabited or furnished château.
The site extends over roughly 450 metres, meaning a fair amount of walking is needed to see it fully.
The ditches and embankments, once filled with water, may make the ground damp or uneven depending on the season.
No verified information on opening hours, prices or accessibility is available for this site.
The site lies near the D583 road between Thorigné-en-Charnie and Saint-Pierre-sur-Erve.

Where this château is

Map of the area around Château de Thorigné-en-Charnie

Loading the map…

This châteauChâteaux within 40 km

Address

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

Get directions View on a map

Heritage status: Protection status unknown

In pictures

Frequently asked

Can you visit the château of Thorigné-en-Charnie?: You can access the site of the remains, but it is not a furnished château set up for guided tours.
What remains of the château today?: Three earthwork enclosures with their ditches and the ruins of a square keep with very thick walls.
Who built these fortifications?: They are generally attributed to the Thorigné family, known from the 11th century onward.
Was there a chapel on the site?: A chapel is recorded on old maps, but it disappeared around 1860 and no further information about it survives.

Something wrong here?

Tell us. Every report moves this entry up our verification queue.

Sources

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

Within an hour’s drive

Do you run this château? Claim my château and improve this entry