Château de Courtanvaux takes weddings, cocktails, family gatherings and professional meetings for up to 200 guests, from April to October. The château and its 68-hectare estate lie at Bessé-sur-Braye, in the Sarthe, and have belonged to the commune since 1978.
Seminars and company events
Professional meetings are part of the hire offer. The Salle des gardes, 40 m², is suggested for a meeting or as a cloakroom, and the first-floor salons can host a presentation or a dinner for a team. Guided visits of the château with one of its guides can be booked for a group. The estate has marked walking trails, including a 4.5 km loop through the woods, and a fishing pond, which give a team day an outdoor part without leaving the site.
Weddings and receptions
The château hires its spaces for weddings, vins d'honneur, cocktails and family celebrations. A secular ceremony can be held under the lime-tree canopy or in the French garden. Amplified music is allowed until 4 am. Couples who hire the château can take indoor photographs at no charge. Shortbread biscuits bearing the château's logo, made by a local artisan, are sold at the shop as guest gifts.
Rooms and capacities
The Grand Château takes up to 200 guests. Its first floor is an enfilade of four salons: the Salon blanc (40 m²), the Salon Le Tellier de Louvois (51 m²), the Salon des armoiries (66 m²) and the Salon de la princesse Bibesco (49 m²), with oak parquet, carved panelling, fireplaces and wide openings onto the park and the cour d'honneur. A 12 m² annex can serve as a dressing room. Other spaces: the former kitchens (100 m²), kept cool, for a cocktail; the Orangerie (52 m²), a bright room with exposed stone walls; the Salle des calèches (69 m²), with direct access to the park; and the communs, used for cocktails except in July and August. Round and rectangular tables and gilded wooden chairs with velvet seats are included in the hire. The reception salons are heated, and the building has a kitchen and back kitchen with separate access for caterers.
Accommodation
There are no bedrooms at the château. More than 92 places to stay lie within 20 km.
Catering
No supplier is imposed. The château gives organisers a list of caterers, florists and other craftspeople during the site visit, and the kitchen is set up for a caterer to work on site.
History and setting
Courtanvaux is a listed historic monument. Gilles de Souvré, first marquis de Courtanvaux, is among the figures linked to it. Later owners included the de Montesquiou-Fezensac family. The château is known as the home of Maman Quiou, governess to the King of Rome, Napoleon's son, and a direct descendant of Louvois. Princess Marie Bibesco also lived here. The estate covers woods, a landscaped English park with old trees and lime avenues, a French garden, terraces and a pond. Restoration of the terraces and walls is under way, so organisers should check which outdoor areas are available on their date.
Getting there
The château is at 1 lieu-dit Courtanvaux, 72310 Bessé-sur-Braye, with parking close to the Grand Château. Site visits are by appointment. The phone line is out of service, so the team asks organisers to write by email.
At a glance
What sets it apart
- 01Grand Château for up to 200 guests, hire from April to October
- 02Four first-floor salons totalling about 210 m²
- 03Free choice of caterer, kitchen with separate caterer access
- 04Amplified music allowed until 4 am
- 0568-hectare estate with English park and French garden
