The castle of Saint-Mars is located in the town of Saint-Mars-la-Brière, in the department of Sarthe, 15 km east of Le Mans.
It was originally a medieval manor built to the south-east of the town in the 15th century. It is then the seat of a seigniory and the parish is annexed to it. At that time, the building was owned by the Laval-Boisdauphin family.
In the second half of the 18th century, the estate underwent major alterations, even though the castle retained an original vaulted room.
From then on, the castle was made up of a main building with four levels (the top floor being attic), in the neo-classical style, a triangular pediment being visible on the facade overlooking the main courtyard. At the rear, the house is flanked by two towers. Outbuildings have been set up on the estate, including an orangery and a smallholding, not to mention a tower transformed into a dovecote. At that time, before the Revolution, the estate was owned by the Bailly family.
Inside, a large living room decorated with paneling has been preserved with its marble fireplace and overmantels evoking the four seasons, and decorations in the form of plasterwork.
In addition, a charter containing seigniorial documents ranging from the 16th to the 19th century is still preserved.
Nowadays, well maintained, the property listed in the Inventory is only occasionally open to the public, especially during cultural events. Otherwise, the estate can be observed from the outside during a walk. Information on +33 2 43 89 70 23.
