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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of La Forêt-Auvray is a Huguenot fortress erected in the 16th century, renovated in the 17th century from a 14th century medieval enclosure. Its defensive architecture is characterized by a quadrilateral enclosure, parapet walls covering a round road, and four corner towers today deprived of roofing. A wooden dormant bridge pierces the courtine, while moat and all fortifications testify to its strategic role. The poterne, attributed to François Gabriel, master mason of Argentan, illustrates his know-how by a game of polychromy, harps, and a broken pediment, crowned with mâchicoulis and mouths on fire.

The house, though transformed in the 19th century, retains the basis of the 16th century. It is integrated into an estate whose protected elements also include a mill, an access driveway, and the soils of the historic plot. The poterne, often regarded as the culmination of François Gabriel's career, synthesizes the stylistic techniques of the late 16th century. Its decor combines bosses, curved shapes and defensive elements (breche, mâchicoulis), reflecting both Renaissance aesthetic and military function.

Ranked a Historic Monument in 2002 for its enclosure and towers, and registered in 2001 for the house and mill, the castle embodies the transition between the Middle Ages and the modern era. Its Huguenote history, although little detailed in the sources, suggests a role in the religious conflicts of the sixteenth century. The building, now located in Orne (Normandy), remains a rare example of a preserved Protestant fortress, where medieval heritage and Renaissance architectural innovations blend together.

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