Boumois castle is located in the village of Saint-Martin-de-la-Place (integrated into the new town of Gennes-Val-de-Loire), in the Maine-et-Loire department, 8 km northwest of Saumur.
Located on the banks of the Loire, on the right bank, the current castle was built in the 16th century 500 meters south of a medieval fortress ruined during the Hundred Years War.
It was René de Thory, Lord of Boumois, who commissioned a new residence, the construction of which spanned from 1520 to 1546. Several archival documents relating to contracts concluded with the region's master craftsmen date the vaults from the kitchen and the pantry and the two staircases leading down to the cellar from 1520. The dwelling and the south wing were built during the same period, while the dovecote was fitted out in 1524 and an enclosure wall was built around 1530. to the chapel, it was consecrated in 1546. It should be noted that the canopy of this one was sold and reassembled in the United States.
During the Wars of Religion, the castle was reinforced by bastions, and watchtowers were added to the gate.
Several families succeeded each other as owners of the estate, and changes were made over the centuries. The chateau thus lost a wing in 1859, and the domain amputated by 45 hectares in 1889.
Affected by a bombardment in 1944, the chateau was partly ruined when it was acquired in 1965 by Michel Grillault Laroche. Listed in the Inventory, the estate has been restored: a project that lasted some 30 years…
Today, the château, which has regained its luster, bears witness to an architecture of transition between Gothic and Renaissance. The influence of this one is notable on the level of the decorations. Flanked by a reconstituted walkway, we therefore observe the dwelling with a Renaissance façade adjoined by a corner tower, the Italianate gate from the 17th century and its watchtowers, and vaulted rooms linking the dwelling and the chapel.
A park with its moat overlooks the river. Still private property, the castle is not open to the public. You can admire the building and its exteriors during a walk along the Loire. Inquire at +33 2 41 51 09 10.
