Ballon Castle

Ballon Castle - Le Château de Ballon, Ballon-Saint-Mars, Sarthe, lands of the Loire, French Republic.

The Château de Ballon is located in the municipality of the same name, in the Sarthe department. Throughout much of the Middle Ages, the castle served as a significant fortification in the region. Its present-day appearance is characteristic of the late 15th century. The castle was built atop a rocky hill.
The first historical references to the castle date back to the 11th century. It was constructed by William I of Bellême to serve as a base of operations in the struggle against the Counts of Maine. The fortress quickly became a target for the Normans, who sought to conquer the southern part of the region. During the 11th century, the castle was besieged twenty times. It was occupied, among others, by Herbert I, Count of Maine, in 1031; William the Conqueror in 1064; and Robert II of Bellême in 1080—at which point it was rebuilt on its current site. From the 12th century onward, Ballon passed into the hands of the Chaources family, who held it for the next 200 years. Seeking to end the hegemony of the Plantagenets, Philip Augustus campaigned in Maine, capturing Ballon twice—in 1189 and 1199. The fortress was subsequently burned and dismantled, though it was later restored.
During the Hundred Years' War, the castle was involved in numerous battles and changed hands several times. Following this long period of conflict, in 1452, Renée de Maillé—daughter of Hardouin VIII and Lady of Ballon—married Jacques de Sourches, a chamberlain to the King. A wealthy and powerful lord, he began the reconstruction of the keep and other sections of the castle, which had been burned by the English, starting in 1469. Today, the castle consists of a keep surrounded by an enclosure and ditches. The structure, which is horseshoe-shaped, is protected by walls approximately 2 meters thick. These walls, which suffered significant damage in the 15th century, are very old.