Manoir de l'Ortière, 15th-century manor estate in Monts, France.

The Manoir de l'Ortière in Monts is a partly preserved manor house whose main block, two storeys tall, is flanked by a lower wing and a taller structure. Its walls are of irregular grey and beige stone under a steep dark slate roof, with a round tower capped by a conical slate roof and a small cross at the centre of the facade. Two upper windows on the right section are open or missing glass, and the building stands in a field of tall, dry grass.

The site is mentioned in records of Saint-Florent Abbey dating to 1201, showing that the area was occupied long before the current manor was built. The house itself was constructed during the 15th century and has remained a landmark in the landscape ever since.

The manor displays rural architectural features typical of its era, with the carefully crafted facade and roof reflecting the craftsmanship of its builders. The interior spaces, particularly the decorative fireplace, mirror the status and lifestyle of those who lived there.

The manor stands on the plateau at the far northern edge of Monts, close to the boundary with Joué-lès-Tours, in a setting of woods, fields and fallow land on heavy soil. The main dwelling is the only building partly preserved, framed by two lower structures, with a courtyard and well in front of the south-west facade. The site has been undergoing rehabilitation since 2019, so the buildings are not open to visitors; the surroundings can be seen from the public paths.

The name Ortière may derive from the Latin orbitaria, meaning a muddy place where vehicle wheels leave ruts, as the French Wikipedia notes. The same article records the toponym in documents of Saint-Florent Abbey of Saumur as early as 1201, well before the 15th-century manor was built.