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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Ango mansion, built between 1530 and 1545 by the shipowner Jean Ango, is a rare example of Italian Renaissance architecture in Normandy. Located in Varengeville-sur-Mer, it combines local materials (silex, bricks, sandstones) and Italian decorative elements, such as the loggia decorated with medallions representing François I and Ango. The circular dovecote, 11 meters high, is a symbol of the seigneurial privilege granted to Ango.

Jean Ango, Viscount of Dieppe and maritime councillor of François I, used this mansion as a summer residence until his death in 1551. He welcomed the king there in 1534. After his death, the estate passed to his goddaughter Jacques de Banquemare, then to Pierre de Guillebert in the 17th century. Converted to a farm, it was partially destroyed by fire during the Revolution.

In the 20th century, the mansion was restored by the Hugot-Gratry family (1924-1976), and again in 2008. He inspired writers such as Balzac, Aragon and Breton, who wrote Nadja there in 1927. Ranked a historic monument since 1862, it is now open to the public from April to September.

The manor is distinguished by its portal flanked by turrets, its rectangular courtyard and its dovecote with geometrical polychrome motifs. The south wing houses a Renaissance loggia decorated with medallions, while the west wing features the salamander, the emblem of François I. The site illustrates the Italian influence in Norman architecture of the 16th century.

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