Sainte-Suzanne

Sainte-Suzanne crowns a rocky spur above the River Erve, its walls enclosing a small town beside a strong castle. The height gave its defenders a commanding view over the countryside of Maine. During the Hundred Years' War the English took the fortress under John Fastolf in 1425, and French forces recovered it in 1439. The place retained military importance during the Wars of Religion. In 1604 Guillaume Fouquet de la Varenne acquired the old fortress and began transforming it into a residence, giving the medieval stronghold a new purpose.