BALL DUNGEON AND ITS GARDENS

Considered the gateway to Maine, this fortress fortress was the object of rivalries and covetousness throughout the Middle Ages and was rebuilt at the time of Philippe Auguste. Restored in the sixteenth century, the Ballon dungeon hosted Henri IV during its reconquest of the West, and lives its owners massacred on the first floor and in moss during the French Revolution. In 1960, the current owners decided to recreate these gardens in the spirit of those of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, incorporating the transformations of landscaper Alain Richert.

Behind the ramparts

Placed on a rocky spur, the Ballon dungeon and its gardens offer a magnificent spectacle on Saosnois. The visit of the Donjon makes it possible to make an idea of life in a fortress, in a castle and in its gardens in the Renaissance. When entering, the allele aisle is bordered on the left of a gangiar topiar and a collection of viburnums installed in the wood; while on the right hand side along the inns without thorns and shrubs lead to the Lions Yard. The enclosed garden, inside the walls, is composed of geometrical patterns, ancient rods on stems, medicinal plants, tinctorials and condiments. A volière hosting Numidia cranes recalls that in the Middle Ages birds were very present in the gardens. A beech tunnel leads to a panoramic view of 25 km and leads to the orchard where a collection of fruit trees from all over the world flourishes. Finally, the roserla, whose triangles draw is punctuated by pyramid charms, contains a hundred varieties of ancient roses and a wall of roses of 80 meters long and a beautiful collection of peonies.