ClasséChâteau · protected 1971Château et parcPart of the building is protectedPhoto: CEHAU35 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Grenier à sel · Photo: Yann Gwilhoù · CC BY-SA 4.06historic monuments
History of Craon · Monuments historiques
6 historic monuments, 2 classé
For every 10,000 residents Craon counts 14 monuments, more per resident than 90% of compared French towns, against 2.5 in the median compared French town. A protected historic area (site patrimonial remarquable) is on the ministry’s list; its rules are still being drawn up. The oldest monuments in Craon date from the 15th century. We have photos of 6 of Craon’s monuments.
Monuments historiques
6
14 per 10,000 residents
median compared town 2.5
median compared town 2.5
Classé
2
the highest protection
Inscrit
4
the second level
Oldest part
15th c.
of any listed monument
Homes before 1919
16%
median compared town 7.4%
In pictures
Craon in 6 photos
Tap a photo to step through them full screen.
Château et parcClassé
Prieuré bénédictin Saint-Clément (ancien)Inscrit
Grenier à selInscrit
HallesInscrit
Église Saint-NicolasInscrit+1See all photosPhotos from Wikimedia Commons, copied to our own server, each credited to its photographer with its license; names open the monument’s page.
Map
Where Craon’s monuments stand
Every monument with a point on the ministry’s list; the larger, darker dots are classé.
ClasséInscrit
Tap a dot to open the monument’s page: its record, photo and the monuments around it.
6 monuments by protection
2 Classé4 Inscrit
Classé is the higher protection: any work on the building needs the State’s permission. Work on an inscrit building must be declared to the State in advance. Around both, building work in sight of the monument (usually within 500 m) needs the agreement of the architecte des Bâtiments de France.
Points as the ministry gives them: a monument spread over several plots has one point.
Classé
2 classé monuments in Craon
Classé is France’s highest protection for a building, held by about a third of the monuments on the list. 1 of the 2 is protected in part only (a façade, a roof, a room). Each card opens the monument’s page.
ClasséInscrit
4 inscrit monuments in Craon
Inscrit is the second level of protection: the building is worth keeping, and any work on it must be declared.
Inscrit
InscritChurch · protected 2026Église Saint-NicolasPhoto: Simon de l'Ouest · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
InscritPriory · protected 1989Prieuré bénédictin Saint-Clément (ancien)Part of the building is protectedPhoto: GO69 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
InscritMarket hall · protected 1984Halles, place des HallesPhoto: Romain Bréget · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Protected area
A protected historic area is on its way in Craon
Sites patrimoniaux remarquables on the Culture ministry’s list, with the plan in force.
| Area | Created as | Plan in force |
|---|---|---|
| SPR52-44 | ZPPAUP May 5, 2003 | Still being drawn up |
A site patrimonial remarquable protects a whole area rather than one building: inside it, building work follows the area’s own plan and needs the agreement of the architecte des Bâtiments de France.
The list gives no boundaries, so the map can’t show the area.
Age of homes
16% of homes in Craon were built before 1919
Main homes by when they were finished, beside the median compared French town (the tick).
16%
Before 1919
8.1%
1919–45
16%
1946–70
34%
1971–90
17%
1991–2005
9.7%
2006 on
CraonMedian compared French town
16% of its main homes were built before 1919; the median compared French town has 7.4%. More of them were finished between 1971 and 1990 than in any other period (34%).
INSEE, census 2023: main homes (résidences principales) only; second homes and empty homes aren’t dated.
Born before 1900
3 people born in Craon before 1900
Their lives on one line.
François-Joachim Esnue-Lavallée
Volney
Ferdinand Le Pelletier
175017751800182518501875190019251950
V
Volney1757–1820 · French philosopher, historian, orientalist, and politician
FJ
François-Joachim Esnue-Lavallée1751–1816 · French politician
FL
Ferdinand Le Pelletier1864–1939 · French politician
Everyone born in Craon Birthplaces from Wikidata, checked against Wikipedia.
Towns its size
Craon has the 3rd most monuments of 41 towns its size
Compared French towns of 4,400 to 4,500 residents, by historic monuments.
Craon6
#4 of 41for monuments per resident (14 per 10,000). Most per resident: Ornans, Mesnil-en-Ouche and Morigny-Champigny.
The median town of these has 1. 16 of the 41 have none.
Neighbors
Historic monuments in the towns around Craon
| Town | Residents | Monuments | Classé | Protected area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Craon | 4,431 | 6 | 2 | Yes |
| Renazé | 2,504 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Cossé-le-Vivien | 3,174 | 2 | 2 | — |
| Ombrée d'Anjou Maine-et-Loire | 8,813 | 5 | 1 | Yes |
| Segré-en-Anjou Bleu Maine-et-Loire | 17,667 | 22 | 5 | — |
| Château-Gontier-sur-Mayenne | 16,584 | 17 | 5 | Yes |
| La Guerche-de-Bretagne Ille-et-Vilaine | 4,554 | 10 | 1 | Yes |
In brief
Craon in brief
For its size, Craon has more historic monuments than 90% of compared French towns. In all there are 6 historic monuments, 2 of them classé, including Grenier à sel. Of its homes, 16% were built before 1919, against 7.4% in the median compared French town. Only 2 of the 41 towns nearest its size have more historic monuments.
Volney (1757), François-Joachim Esnue-Lavallée (1751) and Ferdinand Le Pelletier (1864) were all born here before 1900. The oldest is Grenier à sel, from the 15th century. Otherwise the figures are ordinary: the list grew between 1971 and 2026.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Monuments historiques. France protects buildings at two levels. Classé, the higher (about a third of the list), means any work needs the State’s permission; inscrit means work must be declared to the State in advance. The Culture ministry’s Mérimée base lists every protected building, and this page counts them.
- Partly protected. Many entries protect part of a building only (its façades and roofs, a staircase, a painted room). Each counts as one monument, like a fully protected one.
- Where a monument is counted. In the commune named on its protection, moved to today’s commune where communes have since merged. A monument listed for several communes counts in each.
- Sites patrimoniaux remarquables. Since 2016 France’s protected historic areas (the former secteurs sauvegardés, ZPPAUP and AVAP) share one name. Inside one, building work follows the area’s plan and needs the agreement of the architecte des Bâtiments de France.
- What isn’t here. Protected objects (furniture, organs, paintings), old buildings with no protection, UNESCO World Heritage listings and labels such as “Plus Beaux Villages de France” aren’t on this list, so this page doesn’t count them.
- No History Grade yet. Everything on this page is described, not graded: France’s History Grade isn’t built yet.
Questions about the history of Craon
How many historic monuments are there in Craon?
The Culture ministry lists 6 historic monuments in Craon: 2 classé and 4 inscrit.
Which monuments in Craon are classé?
2, among them Château et parc and Grenier à sel.
How old are the monuments of Craon?
The oldest parts of its listed monuments date from the 15th century.
Is Craon a protected historic area?
One is on the way: a site patrimonial remarquable for Craon is on the ministry’s list, but its rules are still being drawn up.
When were monuments in Craon first protected?
The first in 1971, the latest in 2026.
How old are the homes in Craon?
16% of its main homes were built before 1919 (median compared French town: 7.4%).
France has no History Grade yet: this page describes, it doesn’t grade.
Sources: Ministère de la Culture, Mérimée base on POP (immeubles protégés au titre des monuments historiques), October 2026 · Ministère de la Culture, sites patrimoniaux remarquables, October 2026 · INSEE, census 2023 (main homes by build period) · Wikidata and Wikipedia (people born here) · Wikimedia Commons and Wikidata (photos of the monuments, each with its own credit and license) · IGN Admin Express (boundaries) · Medians and percentiles: TownRatings, over compared French towns, updated November 4, 2026. Under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab).
Contains public sector information under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab): INSEE, DGFiP, the Interior Ministry’s statistics service (SSMSI), the Ministry of Education (DEPP), the Health Ministry’s statistics service (DREES) and the Housing Ministry (Carte des loyers). Commune boundaries: IGN Admin Express.