Château de Clavières, Historic castle in Le Bignon-du-Maine, France.
Château de Clavières is a 19th-century castle in Le Bignon-du-Maine featuring a chapel integrated into its design and numerous secondary buildings. The main residence and auxiliary structures were completed between 1891 and 1893 as a cohesive estate.
Judge Louis Guays des Touches purchased the estate in 1833 and constructed the castle, which eventually passed to the Brothers of Saint Gabriel. From 1896 onward, the property served the Brothers as a training facility.
The chapel at the heart of the property remains a focal point, where daily worship continues as part of the estate's living rhythm. This spiritual function has shaped how visitors and residents experience the grounds today.
The estate spreads across multiple buildings and grounds, so allow time to explore the different sections. Walking slowly from the main residence through the secondary structures to the chapel gives the best sense of how the property is organized.
During World War I, the castle functioned as a sanatorium for soldiers suffering from tuberculosis before later accepting civilian patients. This medical purpose left an unexpected chapter in the property's past.
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