The medieval keep of Villaines-la-Juhel is located on the heights of the town, at an altitude of around 210 metres. This site offers an exceptional panoramic view of the town.
The Donjon de Villaines-la-Juhel stands on the heights of Villaines-la-Juhel, at an altitude of around 210 metres. Several new districts have been built around the remains of the Keep.
The date of construction of the keep is not known, as documentation is very incomplete. It seems that it was never inhabited, but a garrison must have been stationed there. According to several 19th century scholars, such as Abbé Angot, the Keep dates back to the 11th century. The lords of Villaines at that time are unknown. It would appear that the first lords were the barons of Mayenne, but they soon lost this castellany, perhaps when Geoffroy de Mayenne fought William the Conqueror.
From a castellany, it became a barony in 1566, under Nicolas de Champagne, then a marquisate in 1587, for services rendered to the king by Brandelis II de Champagne. The ruins and land around the Keep passed to the Talleyrand-Périgord family through marriage in the early 19th century.
From 1896 onwards, certain plots of land around the Keep were used as quarries. Some of the stones were even used to build a public school. It wasn't until 2007 that ownership of the 403 m2 of land on which the Keep is located was transferred to the municipality of Villaines-la-Juhel. Today, the Donjon ruins are neither listed nor classified. The site has been completely refurbished and offers an uninterrupted view over the town.
The date of construction of the keep is not known, as documentation is very incomplete. It seems that it was never inhabited, but a garrison must have been stationed there. According to several 19th century scholars, such as Abbé Angot, the Keep dates back to the 11th century. The lords of Villaines at that time are unknown. It would appear that the first lords were the barons of Mayenne, but they soon lost this castellany, perhaps when Geoffroy de Mayenne fought William the Conqueror.
From a castellany, it became a barony in 1566, under Nicolas de Champagne, then a marquisate in 1587, for services rendered to the king by Brandelis II de Champagne. The ruins and land around the Keep passed to the Talleyrand-Périgord family through marriage in the early 19th century.
From 1896 onwards, certain plots of land around the Keep were used as quarries. Some of the stones were even used to build a public school. It wasn't until 2007 that ownership of the 403 m2 of land on which the Keep is located was transferred to the municipality of Villaines-la-Juhel. Today, the Donjon ruins are neither listed nor classified. The site has been completely refurbished and offers an uninterrupted view over the town.
Services
Services
Point of interest visible without guided tour
Free site access
Animals accepted
Self-guided tours for individuals
Accepted customers
Accepted customers
- Individuals
- Groups
Openings
Openings
All year 2025
