Château des Rochers-Sévigné

About the museum

The Les Rochers estate, a few kilometres from Vitré, has belonged to the Sévigné family since 1410. The Gothic manor was rebuilt in the 1480s and retains from that period its towers and the look of a Breton country house.

Marie de Rabutin-Chantal, Marquise de Sévigné (1626–1696), discovered the place in 1644, the year of her marriage to Henri de Sévigné. Widowed, she spent long stays there and wrote a large part of her correspondence, notably letters to her daughter, the Countess of Grignan. In 1671 she also had a small octagonal chapel built for her uncle, the Abbé de Coulanges, and named each of the avenues in the park.

At the end of the 17th century the orangery was built and a French formal garden laid out, to a design attributed to André Le Nôtre. After the death of Charles de Sévigné in 1713, the estate was sold in 1715 to the Hay des Nétumières family, whose descendants still own it.

The house-museum opened to the public in 1884. The route begins in the orangery and traces the marquise’s life through numerous portraits, then continues into the tower, where two rooms display personal objects such as her toilet set and writing desk. The site is listed as a historic monument, and the museum holds the “Musée de France” label. In 2026 many events mark the 400th anniversary of the marquise’s birth.

Highlights

• 17th-century orangery serving as entrance and exhibition space on Madame de Sévigné
• Tower rooms with the marquise’s personal belongings
• Octagonal chapel built in 1671
• French formal garden attributed to Le Nôtre, and echo wall
• Wooded park whose avenues bear names given by the marquise

Permanent exhibition

• Madame de Sévigné et les Rochers – In the orangery and the tower, a route through portraits and personal objects tells the story of the marquise’s life and her attachment to Les Rochers.

Founded

1884

Operated by

Ville de Vitré

Visitors per year

approx. 12,041

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Free admission during special events such as the European Heritage Days.

A full-price ticket for the Château de Vitré entitles you to the reduced rate for the Château des Rochers-Sévigné, and vice versa. Also free for members of Bretagne Musées, the Amis de Vitré and Vitré Patrimoine, and for holders of the ICOM card. Tickets are sold only at the museum reception desk.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The town of Vitré offers a call service for deaf and hard-of-hearing people (Acceo).

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

The castle is about 5 km from the centre of Vitré, on the road to Argentré-du-Plessis, in a wooded park.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit