Lassay-les-Châteaux

History

Lassay-les-Châteaux is classified as a Petites Cités de Caractère, or Small City of Character. The small town of character label is awarded to small municipalities boasting a high-quality, coherent architectural heritage, and undertake to preserve their heritage and promote it to inhabitants and visitors. The town is named for its three chateaux, or Castles: Château de Lassay, Château du Bois Thibault and Château Bois Frou. Château de Lassay has eight substantial towers and is largely intact, although restoration work continues on the structure; the ruins of Château du Bois Thibault are substantial, comprising two round towers and the accommodation building; while little remains of Château Bois Frou, other than a large stone gateway, portions of two towers and a small segment of wall. Lassay castle fort, built in the 14th and 15th centuries, is classified as an Historic Monument and is an intact example of medieval military architecture, incorporating a two-storey barbican, small castle, eight round towers and curtain walls with Machicolations. It is scenically situated next to one of the town's two Ponds. A medieval garden recreated by local volunteers is connected to the building. An adjacent chapel and the Murals it contains are also classified as Historic Monuments. The Lassay chateau was built on the site of a previous, 12th-century castle that was demolished during the Hundred Years War. It belongs to the Montalembert family who are gradually restoring it, and is open to the public during the summer. although it was closed for a period during and after World War II. The castle was seriously damaged during the Second World War. Initially, it was looted in 1940 by refugees fleeing the German Blitzkrieg. Later, the German occupiers further damaged the buildings,…

Geography

The commune is made up of the following collection of villages and hamlets, La Baroche-Gondouin, La Gasnerie, La Pelleterie, Melleray-la-Vallée, Monfoucault, Commerson, Le Bois Frou, Le Vieux Mont, Niort la Fontaine, Lassay-les-Châteaux, Les Chauvières, Lassay, Le Bois Jacob, La Sourderie, La Pesière, La Barberie, Le Romé and Courberie. {{Geographic location | title = Neighbouring communes The Normandy-Maine Regional Nature Park attracts nature enthusiasts and outdoor adventurers to its wooded hills, rocky cliffs, steep river valleys and patchwork of farmland meadows defined by hedgerows. Visitors are attracted to the nature park's beauty and also to activities such as hiking, horse riding, mountain biking, canoeing and kayaking, and fishing. It is located in the gently rolling landscape Lassay-les-Châteaux is 90 kilometres from Le Mans and 50 kilometres from the historic town of Laval which is the chief town of Mayenne.

Most-observed species

• Common Chaffinch

  Fringilla coelebs Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  282
• Common Wood-Pigeon

  Columba palumbus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  230
• European Robin

  Erithacus rubecula (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  207
• Great Tit

  Parus major Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  196
• Eurasian Blackbird

  Turdus merula Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  193
• House Sparrow

  Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  184
• Eurasian Blue Tit

  Cyanistes caeruleus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  181
• Eurasian Magpie

  Pica pica (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  149

Most recent

• M 3.6 — 2017-09-28
  1 km WNW of Tresbœuf, France
• M 2.5 — 2008-09-19
  2 km NNE of Montigné-le-Brillant, France
• M 2.7 — 2008-01-31
  2 km SE of Saint-Berthevin, France
• M 2.9 — 2007-12-18
  2 km NE of Saint-Marc-le-Blanc, France
• M 2.8 — 2007-11-06
  7 km SSW of Chanu, France
• M 2.9 — 2007-09-23
  3 km NNE of Ballots, France