Fontenil Castle

Fontenil castle, locally known as Château du Fontenil, lies north of the town of L'Aigle, in the Orne department in France.

Fontenil Castle was built in 1554 on the foundations of an earlier feudal castle said to have belonged to Jacques de Beaune, Baron of Semblançay, Viscount of Tours, who was a minister to Francis I of France between 1515 and 1527. 

In 1803 the castle grounds were the site of the L'Aigle meteor shower.

The castle got its present appearance in the 2nd part of the 19th century, during the reign of Napoleon III. In 1875 it was sold to a M. Lejeune who also carried out reconstructions. 

Following a bombing in 1944 Fontenil Castle was restored and used as a maternity hospital.

At present Fontenil Castle is a private residence. Its garden can freely be visited during summer, its interior only during Heritage Days. A nice château.

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