Château des Linières, Historical castle in Val-du-Maine, France.

Château des Linières stands about a kilometre north-east of the village of Ballée, in Val-du-Maine. The present building, mainly raised around 1640, is a long main block flanked by four corner pavilions. Its weathered grey and tan stonework carries a dark slate roof, a tall stone gateway with a rounded top and carved pillars, a smaller gated entrance with a stone dormer, and two chimneys, one of red brick.

The castle's origins go back to the 10th century, and it was always tied to the seigneurie of Ballée, held in fief from the châtellenie of Bazougers. The first known owner, cited in 1374, was Simon, seigneur de Ballée. The present building was mainly erected around 1640 by Jacques Philippe de Girard, marquis de Charnacé, governor general of the Île-de-France and of the Paris arsenal. It was inscribed as a monument historique on 9 December 1983, with a complement in 2017.

The name Linières comes from the seigneurie of Ballée, to which the castle was always attached; it was held from the châtellenie of Bazougers. The long tree-lined avenue linking the castle to the village was laid out on land sold by the Jesuits of La Flèche in 1678. Since 2015 the owner has planned to fit out one wing with a 300-seat theatre, a costume workshop and an artists' residence.

The castle stands about one kilometre north-east of the village of Ballée, reached by a long tree-lined avenue laid out on land the Jesuits of La Flèche sold in 1678. The building is privately owned and under restoration since 2015, so it is seen from the avenue and the surrounding grounds rather than from inside.

Inside, a wooden staircase from the early 1600s features painted decorations hidden beneath its steps. Two stone fireplaces with carved ornaments showcase the skilled craftsmanship that went into the interior details.