Laval Castle – Museum of Naïve and Outsider Art

In Mayenne, the Guy de Laval's original fortress has survived the centuries and invites visitors to discover its history.

It was at the beginning of the 11th century^e In the 13th century, Guy de Dénéré built his motte-and-bailey castle on a rocky spur overlooking the Mayenne River. The first building, made of earth and wood, was...upplanted by a stone fortress in the 13th^e centuryThe centerpiece of which is a cylindrical keep. This 34-meter-high tower is crowned with a hoarding, a gallery designed for defense. It is one of the oldest timber-framed structures in France.

During the Renaissance, under the impetus of Guy XVI, peer of France and governor of Brittany, the The facade of the main building, opening onto the courtyard, is pierced with large windows. adorned with a rich tufa decoration. The motifs refer sometimes to the French Gothic tradition, sometimes to Antiquity rediscovered during the Italian Wars.

In the middle of the XVI^e century, a pleasure gallery It completes the castle complex to the north. Having become a prison during the French Revolution, the former residence of the Counts of Laval has housed, since 1967, the first Museum of Naïve Art of Europe inaugurated in honor of Douanier Rousseau.

• Continue your exploration of the Loire Valley with the circuit The most beautiful castles around Le Mans and Laval dans lequel s’inscrit le château de Laval.