Local Authorities
Museum
CastleLaval
Château de Laval
In the city of Laval in the French department of Mayenne stands the Château de Laval. It stands on a rocky outcrop above the Mayenne River and is now a cultural center housing a museum.
History+
The origins of the lordship of Laval date back to the early 11th century. The castle was built by Gui I. de Dénéré, a vassal of the Count of Maine, Herbert I. Eveille Chien. In the 13th century, the property passed to the Montmorency family through the marriage of the last direct descendant, Emma de Laval, to Mathieu Montmorency. When the male line of the Laval-Montmorency ended in 1412 with Gui XII., the estate fell to his son-in-law Jean Montfort-Gaël, who adopted the name Gui XIII. His son Gui XIV., a companion of Joan of Arc, succeeded him in 1415. King Charles VII elevated the lordship to a county in 1429. Until 1794, the castle served as the residence of the Counts of Laval. During the French Revolution, the Petit-Château was initially used as a military hospital and then by the Tribunal from 1795. In 1821, Louis-Stanislas de La Trémoïlle sold the castle, along with the New Castle, to the city, which used it as a prison until 1908.
On site+
Today, the Château de Laval is used by local authorities and houses a museum.
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Image: Hervé Rebours
Location: 48.0683, -0.7706