Beaumont au Maine

Beaumont stands above the Sarthe, where a castle guarded a crossing between Maine and Normandy. The viscounts of Beaumont held the stronghold, and the town grew below its walls beside the river. Its position made it a frequent prize during the Hundred Years' War. English and French forces took and retook Beaumont several times between 1417 and 1449, when Dunois finally expelled the English garrison. Later in the fifteenth century the castle was partly dismantled, reducing a fortress that had endured decades of siege and changing masters.