Geographically, Maine is situated between the county of Anjou, the duchy of Normandy and the seigneurie of Bellême. It had been a fief of Anjou from the 10th century, though this overlordship was contested by both the local comital family and the dukes of Normandy. However, in 1110 Angevin overlordship was sealed by marriage and the old county was definitively absorbed into the Plantagenet domains. In the 13th century, Maine, along with Anjou, was seized by the French crown, so turning the county into a royal appanage, which was, in turn, most frequently entrusted to the house of Anjou.

This historical background is relevant in so far as it points to three distinct sources of influence: Norman, Angevin and French. What is the respective part played by each of these and, most importantly, what is the part played by the Angevins in the construction and typology of donjons in Maine between the 10th and 13th centuries?

Relatively few donjons survive in Maine, though a current investigation into sites and documentary sources is revealing a far fuller network than had hitherto been suspected. In assessing this the paper will address two themes:

Historical background (location and context of donjons, dates and presumed builders, functions).

Topography and typology (from the rectangular to the circular donjon).