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Origin and history

The Bérardière Manor House, located in Saint-Bômer-les-Forges, Orne, has its origins in a fief city since the end of the 14th century. He passed into the Roussel family in 1398 or 1461, according to the sources, by marriage or exchange of land. The Roussel, a rural bourgeois of the Domfrontais, carried out anointing duties there as lawyers or magistrates, without ever obtaining hereditary nobility. The fief remained in this family until the 18th century, with figures such as Henri-François-Anne de Roussel, professor of medicine at Caen, or Jean-Henry Roussel, professor of law.

The current mansion was built in 1697 by Jacques de Roussel, a lawyer and criminal lieutenant at Domfront, on the site of a medieval fortified farm. It combines a main granite building, a courtyard of honour, and turret entrance pavilions. The "Archives Pavilion", dating from the late 15th century, initially served as a defence tower before being transformed into a library. The estate also includes a chapel dedicated to Saint François-Xavier (1745) and a French-style garden, all surrounded by 18th-century walks, reflecting the influence of the Lights on the layout of the spaces.

During the Revolution, the mansion played a role in Norman caulanry. In 1799-1800 he housed the staff of the Baron of Commarque and hosted negotiations between royalists and republicans, including the one involving Louis de Froutté, shot after a betrayal. In the 19th century, the estate passed to Bidard by inheritance, then to the Roulleaux Dugage family in 1911. In 1920, a wing and a polygonal tower were added, while in 1944, the mansion served as a hospital after the Allied bombings on Flers.

The manor house was partially listed as a historical monument in 1974 (façades, roofs, living room, staircase) and in 1995 (park, pavilions, garden). Its interiors preserve woodwork from the 17th and 18th centuries, tapestries from the Gobelins, and family portraits. The Roussel left their coat of arms, modified in the 17th century to include a heart of mouths. Today, the estate is visited by appointment, while the park is freely accessible on Sundays. An association has been ensuring its preservation since 2008.

The archives of the mansion, dating back to the 15th century, and its library testify to its historical importance. The site also inspired artists like Charles Léandre, who made it a pastel in 1905. The chapel also retains the helmet of an American soldier who died during the liberation in 1944, recalling his role during the Second World War.

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