This latter street offers an unobstructed view of the castle's north façade and provides access to the estate through the Monplaisir Tower, working as a secondary entrance.

[RE 6] Urbain's grandson, Louis Le Roy de La Potherie, emigrated during the Revolution but returned to France in 1801 and actively participated in the military and political life of the Restoration period.

This branch, which originated from one of the oldest families of French nobility, included a Count-Bishop of Beauvais, a Bishop of Saintes, a Peer of France, and a deputy to the Estates-General of 1789.

Following the tumultuous period, Angevin aristocrats returned from exile in England and aspired to emulate the English aristocracy, who owned vast estates with castles and extensive farmlands.

They lacked the confidence to resume their seigneurial role and were confronted with the servitudes of the Ancien régime, perpetuated by peasants who still claimed rights of passage, gleaning, or grazing on the lands.

This generation assumed power following the July Revolution, which ended the Bourbon Restoration and resulted in the ascension of a more liberal king, Louis-Philippe, to the throne.

It appeared in Anjou around 1835, and its popularity among the local aristocracy can be explained by a desire to return to the ideals of the Ancien régime, which included feudalism, religion, and continuity with the past.

[2] Guy Massin-Le Goff, a curator of antiquities and art objects in Maine-et-Loire and a specialist in Angevin neo-Gothic, offers an alternative explanation for the style popularity.

Turpin de Crissé, a prominent figure in Parisian salons, was an admirer of ancient architecture and a friend of the architect Louis Visconti, who designed Napoleon's tomb.

[GLG 5] A medieval enthusiast, particularly of King René's reign and the 15th century, Quatrebarbes likely contributed to the neo-Gothic style establishment in Anjou with his reputation as an art lover.

Visconti initially proposed a rectangular building with four corner towers in a Renaissance style, but they preferred a neo-Gothic exterior inspired by the new castles of Angrie and Chanzeaux.

Later, her attention was directed towards the remainder of the estate,[GLG 9] with the park being designed in 1860, the outbuildings completed in 1859–1860, the north enclosure wall, orangery, and greenhouses in 1866, the Monplaisir tower in 1875, and the entrance gatehouse in 1882.

The castle, designed for social gatherings and celebrations to showcase the La Rochefoucauld-Bayers' family life, probably have hosted a few significant events during this period.

The Count of La Rochefoucauld-Bayers recognized the project potential and expressed confidence in Hodé's abilities, stating that the castle would enhance the architect's standing.

[GLG 14] In comparison to Hodé's other works, the Challain project appears to be an ambitious undertaking, possibly indicating that he collaborated closely with the original neo-Renaissance concept by Louis Visconti in 1846.

All lines direct the gaze upward; no horizontal bands are marking the transition between floors, but pinnacled dormers, narrow chimneys that rise to the roof ridge, and pointed turrets.

[CD 9] The Gothic influence is primarily seen in the decorative elements, as the facades maintain a symmetrical classical design, and the room distribution follows neoclassical conventions.

[CD 9] The troubadour style persisted longer in Anjou compared to the rest of France, largely due to the enduring popularity of René Hodé's work.

His inclination, however, was towards transitional Gothic, a decorative style that emerged in the Loire Valley during the reigns of Louis XI and Charles VIII, just before the Renaissance architecture took hold.

[14] In Anjou, the latter half of the 15th century, especially during the reign of King René,[GLG2 3] sparked significant interest, leading to a resurgence of regionalist and anti-Parisian architectural trends.

The intricately crafted figures, including musicians, acrobats, jesters, knights, and real or imaginary animals, are arranged without a specific organizational scheme.

[GLG 15] The ornamentation, which fills the large blank areas of the facades and enlivens the roofs, accentuates the building's height, balancing its grand and powerful presence.

[GLG 15] René Hodé designed the interior layout to align with the preferences of the Count and Countess of La Rochefoucauld-Bayers, who desired a classical organization with an axial plan.

[GLG 7] The castle reflects the tastes of the 19th century and incorporates modern amenities of the time, such as bathrooms and central heating provided by a basement calorifer and an air conduit network.

The inclusion of corner towers and the desire to evoke fortified castles necessitated a substantial thickness for the rectangular structure, which resulted in difficulties in organizing the interior spaces and larger rooms than usual.

It showcases a profusion of wood paneling sculpted with lancet window motifs and designs inspired by the doors of Rhodes in the Crusades halls of the Château de Versailles.

[CD 11] The park, spanning approximately 30 hectares, includes meadows and forests that have been skillfully designed to create the illusion of depth and undulation through the arrangement of trees and woodland edges.

The larger pond, separated from the castle estate in the 20th century and transformed into a municipal area, has a history dating back to the Middle Ages when it served as a reservoir to power a water mill.

[GLG 27] This tower, constructed in a neo-Gothic style similar to the castle, takes its name from the La Rochefoucauld motto, "C'est mon plaisir" (It is my pleasure).

The faux Gothic ruin at the entrance is still visible, simulating a construction vestige, likely religious, as a statue of the Madonna and Child stands on the side pillar.