Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Cantepie Manor House is a former manor farm built in the early 16th century, located on the former town of Veys, now integrated in Carentan-les-Marais (Manche, Normandy). This monument, partially inscribed in historical monuments since 1988, illustrates the seigneurial architecture of the period, with an octagonal tower and turrets symbolizing noble authority. Its oldest parts date from the middle of the sixteenth century, while major expansions, such as an arcade cart, took place in the seventeenth century.

In 1523, Maurice de Fontenil, squire and lord of Cantepie, was mentioned during a search for nobility. The mansion changed hands in 1699, when Pierre Colombel, adviser to the bailliage of Carentan, founded a chapel dedicated to Saint Peter and the Virgin. He then obtained episcopal authorization to celebrate Masses there. The agricultural outbuildings, added in the 18th and 19th centuries, complete the whole, while neogothic restorations and a wall of enclosure were carried out in the 19th century.

Acquired in 2015 by a group of American investors, the mansion was to be transformed into a tourist site linked to Normandy landing, with a gourmet restaurant. However, the project, scheduled for 2016, has not been completed to date. Today the private property, the mansion is not visited, although its facades, roofs, stair towers, 17th century fireplaces and remains of the entrance tower are protected.

The site is distinguished by defensive elements such as a turret, vestige of the original gate, and a square chamber at the top of a tower. Its history reflects the architectural and social evolutions of Normandy, between seigneurial, agricultural and, more recently, heritage and tourism issues.

Future

Today, the mansion is privately owned and is not open to the public.

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