Chailland

Before starting our visit, we drove into Laval for myappointment at the hair salon Eliane uses. On the way back to the house, we drove along the Mayenne. Eliane pointed out some 9th c homes and told me about some of the people who built them. We stopped across from the main church, the Basilique d’Avesnieres.

The basilica dates from the 12th c., the tower from the 16th. 1974




After lunch we drove north passing the small village of Changé (pop. about 5,000) and the miniscule commune of Montflours (pop. 232), luckily? for them, very close to Laval. Our first stop was the Pont de Rochefort, a bridge over the Mayenne about 10 miles from Laval.

Nearby, along the canal, a dam and a lock were constructed. The dam furnished power to a flour mill, active during most of the 19th c. Other industries replaced the mill until 1925 when it was bought by a company that processed asbestos and manufactured industrial products. The factory was active until the 1970s; only in 1999 was the site declared off limits. The dam is now used to generate power for the lock.

Panels near the lock describe the wildlife, botany, and geology of the area. Today the towpath along the canal passes the lock, to the delight of hikers; just beyond the lock is a rather gentrified “guinguette,”

a version of the once modest inn along the water where country residents could gather for food and dancing.

Chailland was first documented in the 11th c, though the site had been inhabited for 5,000 years. In the Middle Ages its forests provided wood for iron forges and later for the textile industry. Now this is a picturesque town, full of flowers and the charming remains of its past. The Ernée River runs through the center of town.

A flowered bridge spans the river and leads from the public gardens and the newer part of the village to the other side where most of the interesting edifices are found. Next to the bridge is the Lavoir du Moulin – the public washing place, installed at the foot of two old flour mills. A mechanical lift system allowed the platform to rise when the water was high.

The neo-gothic church dates from the end of the 19th c. Inside the architecture definitely feels gothic;

the windows are obviously modern but in a gothic style. I don’t know why the Romanesque church had to be replaced.





A short walk led to the Bourgeoiserie, the burger’s house constructed in the mid 18th c. on the site of the feudal manor of Villeneuve.

Its mansard roof adds living space to the basic stone structure. Nearly opposite is another home, called the Maison du Roquet de Villeneuve.

It was the site of the courts of justice. The first floor is built over two cellars, one of which has a door opening to the courtyard. The steep slate roof is remarkable.

Just outside the village were the homes built for the ironworkers.

The forges were built at the end of the 17th c. The proximity of the forest of Mayenne and the river influenced the decision to build at Chailland. (Strangely enough, in 1654, Cardinal Mazarin bought land in the region including the forge, from Philip of Gonzaga, the Duke of Mantua!) The forge worked until 1862. The two-room, two-story homes were built for 22 workers and their families, one room had a chimney. Now the homes are privately owned and charming, though tiny.

Leaving Chailland Eliane drove along a country road, past a pretty house

to visit her grandparents’ farm at St. Germain-le-Fouilleux. We got out of the car and while Eliane reminisced about the farm and her childhood,

we watched two bulls who turned to look at us, then went back to their business.