Blandouet: Church, Seigneurial History and Water

Blandouet’s history can be viewed from different perspectives through its church, seigneurial history and waterside landscape. The Church of Saint-Louis de Blandouet, the Seigneurie de La Vallée, the Manoir de la Vallée and the Treulon and Ruisseau des Coulereaux rivers represent different aspects of the area. Together, they trace a path from probable medieval settlement development through ecclesiastical and architectural history to the landscape by the water.

The Church of Saint-Louis and its building history

The Church of Saint-Louis de Blandouet was probably founded after its patron saint was canonized in 1297. A decree dated 5 Nivôse, Year XIII, elevated it to parish church status. This date belongs to the French Republican calendar and marks a later stage in the church’s history. The foundation and its elevation to parish church status refer to different stages: the first relates to the church’s presumed beginnings, while the second concerns its later function as a parish church.

The architecture, too, spans different periods. The Gothic tracery may date from the 14th or early 15th century. Around the middle of the 18th century, a large, continuous dormer was added on the south side of the choir when a large wooden altarpiece was installed. An altarpiece is a structure behind or above an altar; this connection links the alteration to the roofline with the choir’s furnishings. Thus, a possible medieval building date and a later architectural change stand side by side.

The development of the settlement and the Manoir de la Vallée

Blandouet probably developed in the middle of the Middle Ages from a seigneurial settlement associated with land clearance. The Seigneurie de La Vallée in Blandouet was a fief of the Barony of Sainte-Suzanne. The Manoir de la Vallée was probably built in the second half of the 15th or in the 16th century. These periods can be contrasted: the settlement’s probable development belongs to the middle of the Middle Ages, while the manor house was built in a later period. This keeps the history of the settlement and the architectural history distinct as different historical perspectives.

Waterways and practical information

The village lies near the confluence of the Treulon and its tributary, the Ruisseau des Coulereaux. Both waterways form Blandouet’s eastern and southern boundaries. Near the Manoir de la Vallée, the Treulon feeds the moats. The river is therefore both part of the landscape around the village and a source of water for the manor house’s moats.

Access to the Plan d’eau de Blandouet is via Rue du Plan d’eau, opposite the town hall of the delegated municipality. There are toilets at the Plan d’eau, as well as an electrical hookup for campers. As access and facilities may change, check the information before your arrival. Near the lake at Blandouet, a community-run bistro serving local products is open on Friday evenings. If you plan to visit, check the date before you go.

Discover more destinations: Quelaines, Vaiges, Champfrémont, Torcé-Viviers-En-Charnie, Châtillon-Sur-Colmont, Ambrières-Les-Vallées, Désertines, Saint-Aignan-Sur-Roë.

For the overview of the wider area: Mayenne.