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All French heritage classified by regions, departments and cities

  2. Patrimoine
  3. Normandie
  4. Calvados
  5. 14400 Monceaux-en-Bessin

  6. Château de Crémel

 Château de Crémel à Monceaux-en-Bessin dans le Calvados

Patrimoine classé
Patrimoine défensif
Demeure seigneuriale
Manoir
Calvados

Château de Crémel

    Rue de Tilly sur Seulles
    14400 Monceaux-en-Bessin
Château de Crémel
Château de Crémel
Château de Crémel
Château de Crémel
Château de Crémel
Château de Crémel
Crédit photo : Pimprenel - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Renaissance
Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1600
1700
1800
1900
2000
1638
Acquisition by Jean Le Patou
vers 1642
Construction of the current mansion
3 novembre 1674
Sale to the Gigault de Bellefonds
5 juillet 1771
Sale to Hervé Guillaume d
25 juin 1928
Historical monument classification
2000-2014
Complete restoration
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

The old château of Cremel, now closed: inscription by order of 25 June 1928 - The closing walls of the castle (cad. AB 6 to 8, placed Hameau de Crémel): inscription by decree of 26 April 2012

Key figures

Jean Le Patou (père) - President of the election of Bayeux Builder of the mansion around 1642.
Jean Le Patou (fils) - Counsellor at the Aid Court Heir of the estate in 1670.
Bernardin Gigault de Bellefonds - Marshal of France Acquirer in 1674 after seizure.
Louis Christophe Gigault - Son of the Marshal, military Married to Marie Olympe Mazarin.
Hervé Guillaume d’Aigneaux - Noble owner in 1771 Buyer before family transmission.
Guillaume Mayet - Owner since 1846 Current family owner of the estate.

Origin and history

The Crémel Manor Farm, located 1.8 km north of Monceaux-en-Bessin in Calvados, is an emblematic example of the Bessin Manor Farms. Built around 1642 by Jean Le Patou, Sieur de la Montagne, it has retained a unique architectural homogeneity, with elements dating from the 11th century. This president of Bayeux's election and adviser to Rouen's aid court acquired the estate in 1638 after a default of loan repayment. His son, Jean Le Patou, inherited him before the estate was seized in 1674 and awarded to Bernardin Gigault de Bellefonds, Marshal of France and Ambassador of Spain.

The manor house, never inhabited by its successive owners from 1670 to 2000, is given in rent. He passed into the hands of noble families, including the Beauvilliers and the d'Aigneaux, before being sold in 1846 to Guillaume Mayet, whose descendants still owned them. The seigneurial house, flanked by a square tower and an axe roof, dominates buildings (press room, stables, barn) remarkably preserved. Two sundials, one on the gate and the other on the house, mark morning and vesperal hours.

Ranked historic monument in 1928 for the castle and in 2012 for its fence walls, the estate enjoys a complete restoration between 2000 and 2014. This intervention, awarded in 2015 by a diploma from the Vieilles Maisons Françaises, preserved its authenticity, including its adorned windows, its fronton chimneys, and its stone press of Creully, rare in the region. Access is via a monumental gate with steeples, typical of 17th century local architecture.

Crémel's history reflects the social and economic changes of Normandy, from its role as a seigneurial residence to its continuous agricultural operation. Proprietary families, often linked to the nobility of dress or sword (such as the Gigault of Bellefonds or the Mancini-Mazarin by alliance), illustrate the networks of influence of the Old Regime. Today, the site combines architectural heritage and rural memory, testifying to the life of the manor farms in Bessin.

External links

Page Wikipedia
Page Monumentum