Photo : Fabienkhan / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.5)
Château de Carrouges
Built in the 14th century, the Château de Carrouges, in the Orne, was originally a defensive castle with long brick walls and a complex roof structure. Besieged during the wars between the Plantagenets and the Capetians, the fortress was rebuilt during the Hundred Years' War, from which the keep dates.
In the 15th century the château was enlarged with a new wing. It was embellished in the Renaissance and fortified during the Wars of Religion. In the 17th century a grand suite of apartments turned it into a splendid residence. Today the former canons' house, founded by Louis XI, houses the headquarters of the Normandie-Maine Regional Nature Park. A park of about ten hectares offers fine gardens, groves and flower-filled terraces, a delight for lovers of history and nature.
