Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The manor house of Bévilliers, formerly called the manor house of Senitot, was originally linked to the seigneury of Orcher. In 1477, Pierre Ercambourg, lord of Gainneville, offered this land in fief to his son-in-law Loÿs de Viennens. The coat of arms of the Viennese and Ercambourg families still adorn the arch keys and chimneys, testifying to this medieval period.

The present Renaissance-style mansion was built in the early 16th century by Jeanne de Viennens and Louis de Richebourg, a gentleman from Île-de-France. The dates of 1528 (cave) and 1536 (chapel) are engraved in the stone, and their initials "L" and "I" appear on the facade and chimneys. This place became a Protestant fief at the end of the 16th century, notably under Tristan de Brachon (1596–30), before the exile of the family after the revocation of the edict of Nantes in 1685.

In the 18th century, the mansion changed hands several times: Julie de Brachon and her husband Pierre Basnage, grandson of Henri Basnage de Beauval, lived there with fascination after 1782. In 1752 Miss de Melmont joined the domain of Orcher. Ranked a historic monument in 1924, it now houses a golf course and event facilities, while maintaining its architecture in limestone and pink brick.

Private property since its construction, the mansion illustrates the evolution of local elites, from medieval fief to Protestant worship, then to an aristocratic residence. Its ranking in 1924 and its transformation into golf in the 20th century underline its adaptation to the eras, while preserving its architectural and historical heritage.

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