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Origin and history

The Becdal Manor House, located in Acquigny, Eure, has its origins in the 14th century with a first building destroyed during the Hundred Years War. Reconstructed in 1443 by Denis le Roux after his acquisition of the fief, he suffered further damage during the Wars of Religion. This site, marked by successive reconstructions, illustrates the historical turbulences of medieval and modern Normandy.

In the middle of the 17th century, Claude le Roux erected the current manor house, combining panels of wood and stone base, with a prominent staircase tower on the south side. A chapel was added around 1667, completing a set including barns, press and dovecote, all in a coherent architectural style. The porch, equipped with a murderer, and the partially preserved 15th century enclosure walls testify to the defensive concerns of the era.

The manor house has been partially protected since 1978, with the inscription of its north façade, the roofs of the stables and its entrance gate as historical monuments. Its location near the Eure River and on the Evreux-Rouen axis underlines its strategic and economic importance in the region. Local materials, such as terracotta tiles, reinforce its anchoring in the Norman heritage.

Defensive elements, such as the murderer near the entrance, recall the persistent tensions after the Wars of Religion, while the 17th century chapel reflects the growing influence of the Counter-Reform. The manor house, with its agricultural outbuildings, also embodies the transition between feudality and modern rural economy, typical of the Normandy of Ancien Régime.

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