The manor of La Vignolle is located in the town of Souzay-Champigny, in Maine-et-Loire, 6 km south-east of Saumur.
Located to the northwest of the village, it was built in the 15th century by the eponymous family of La Vignolle. The masters of the place were in the service of King René of Anjou. This is how, after the latter's death in Aix-en-Provence, in 1480, Marguerite d'Anjou, daughter of King René and wife of King Henry VI of England, was welcomed there. According to certain sources, she would even have ended her days there.
Architecturally, the manor has the specificity of being partly troglodytic, since it leans against a limestone cliff overlooking the Loire.
Its facade reflects the period of transition between Gothic and Renaissance, the house being equipped with watchtowers at the corners and half-military, half-decorative sculpted elements. It is in this characteristic of the noble residences of the Loire Valley of the time.
Listed in the Inventory, the property is private and not open to the public. However, you can admire its original charm during a thematic walk proposed in the village linking different troglodyte buildings. Information on +33 2 41 40 20 60.
