Château de Sainte-Suzanne

Sainte-Suzanne-et-Chammes, France

Château de Sainte-Suzanne was a property of the lords of Beaumont, viscounts of Maine, and was built in the 11th century. The most famous event of castle was when it succesfully repelled the conquer attempt of William the Conqueror in 1083-1086.

Installed on a rocky outcrop dominating the Erve valley, the Château de Sainte-Suzanne consists of a triangular courtyard made up of eleven round and square towers, a moat separating it from the medieval town or even a quadrangular keep with three levels near the drawbridge.

As for the dwelling, it reveals an architecture typical of the Henri IV period, at the transition between the Renaissance and the Classical, with a steep roof made of slates from Angers, a facade with bays or even pediments covering the skylights.

Address

Rue Fouquet de la Varenne 12, Sainte-Suzanne-et-Chammes, France

See all sites in Sainte-Suzanne-et-Chammes

Details

Founded: 11th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in France
Historical period: Birth of Capetian dynasty (France)

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Christophe Beaujard (6 months ago)
Worth the trip!! This is an incredible discovery, even for me who spent my childhood in Le Mans. Beautiful small village with middle age houses. Nicely restored, with a great atmosphere pushing you to just sit on a terrace and enjoy. Small artist shops and cafe in those old houses. Just beautiful.

haverco (7 months ago)
Nice castle, very well organized. Take the time to walk through the town to the castle. Also walk around down to the medieval garden and the water mill.

Martin (7 months ago)
Small picturesque medieval town, very pretty.

David C (9 months ago)
One of the most beautiful little towns in France! It is worth a stop to walk around town, check out the medieval quarter and look at the views!!

Robert Brown (2 years ago)
Really nice mid evil castle fortress chateau. Great to walk around and do the tour. Lots of beautiful views and history to explore.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Photo from Flickr, copyright w_lemay

Historic Site of the week

Temple of Edfu

The Temple of Edfu is one of the best preserved ancient shrines in Egypt. It was built in the Ptolemaic Kingdom between 237 and 57 BC.

Edfu was one of several temples built during the Ptolemaic Kingdom, including the Dendera Temple complex, Esna, the Temple of Kom Ombo, and Philae. Its size reflects the relative prosperity of the time. The present temple initially consisted of a pillared hall, two transverse halls, and a barque sanctuary surrounded by chapels. The building was started during the reign of Ptolemy III Euergetes and completed in 57 BC under Ptolemy XII Auletes. It was built on the site of an earlier, smaller temple also dedicated to Horus, although the previous structure was oriented east–west rather than north–south as in the present site.