Construction of the mansion XVIe siècle (≈ 1650)
Built by the Mangon family
XIXe siècle
Acquisition by Milcent
Acquisition by Milcent XIXe siècle (≈ 1865)
Transformed into a farm model
17 mars 1975
Registration of the dovecote
Registration of the dovecote 17 mars 1975 (≈ 1975)
Protection of historical monuments
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Colombia (Case D 372): entry by order of 17 March 1975
Key figures
Famille Mangon - Initial constructors
Owners in the 16th century
Ernest Milcent (1854–1909) - Social Catholic activist
Buyer and moderniser in the 19th century
Origin and history
The manor house of Val, also called Château du Val-de-Brix, is a manor house built in the 16th century on the town of Brix, in the department of Manche. This monument illustrates the residential architecture of the Norman rural nobility of the Renaissance, with typical elements like a dovecote, now protected.
Originally, the manor house belongs to the Mangon family, which is responsible for its construction. In the 19th century, property was acquired by Ernest Milcent (1854–1909), a figure of social Catholicism. It transforms the estate into a model farm, reflecting the agricultural and social concerns of its time. The dovecote, the only element currently included in historical monuments (since 1975), bears witness to the symbolic and practical importance of this type of building in the seigneurial domains.
Located 1.5 km west of the village of Brix, the Val mansion is situated in a preserved rural landscape. Although the property is now owned by a private company, its history combines architectural heritage, economic change and social commitment, characteristic of post-revolutionary Normandy.
