Senonches

Senonches lies among forests and ponds on the eastern edge of the Perche. Its castle stood on a spur surrounded by marshes, with a fortified gateway controlling the approach to the town. Once a frontier stronghold facing Normandy, it became part of the county of Perche in the fourteenth century. After 1525 inheritance brought Senonches into the possessions of the Gonzaga family of Mantua, later dukes of Nevers. The castle gradually lost its military role, while the forest and estate remained valuable to successive lords.