Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Gratot Castle, built at the end of the 13th century in Cotentin, was profoundly remodeled in the 15th and 17th centuries by the family of Argouges, which made it the seat of a marquisate. Originally owned by the lords of Gratot, in 1251 he passed to the d'Argouges by marriage with Jeanne de Gratot, then underwent major transformations, notably under Philippe d'Argouges in the 14th century. The castle, surrounded by moat fed by the fountain at the Fairy, had a quadrangular enclosure with a drawbridge poterne, a medieval corner tower, and a 17th century seigneurial house.

In the 17th century, under Louis d'Argouges, the estate was erected as a marquisat, but declined after the sale of it to the bishop of Coutances in 1771, followed by estate disputes. Abandoned in the 19th century, it degraded until its acquisition in 1924 by Jean Tiphaigne, whose descendants started restoration works from 1968. Today, the site, classified as Historic Monument in 1970, is freely visited and houses a permanent exhibition on its history, as well as cultural events.

The architecture of the castle combines defensive elements (the 15th century round tower, moats) and residential elements (logis with large windows, French garden). The tower at the Fairy, octagonal and covered with a roof in a building, illustrates the style of the houses of the Argouges. A local legend evokes a fairy, Andaine, wife of a lord of Arguges, disappeared after the violation of a forbidden. The 16th century communes, still maintained, frame the entrance poter and house exhibitions.

The family of Argouges, owner from 1237 to 1777, deeply marked the history of the place. Among its members, Guillaume d'Argouges (XIVth century) rebuilt the castle, while Louis d'Argouges obtained its rise in marquisat in the 17th century. The last Marquis, Jean-Antoine d'Argouges, sold the estate in 1771, before he passed into the hands of bourgeois and then farmers in the 19th century. The remains, including vaulted cellars and medieval towers, recall its peak as a seigneurial residence and symbol of power.

Ranked in 1970 for its ruins, commons and moats, Gratot Castle is now a tourist site animated by the Animation Centre of Gratot Castle. The visits, paid, allow to discover its hybrid architecture (medieval and classical) and its turbulent history, from Norman crusades to the Revolution. The domain, open daily, also perpetuates the memory of the lords of Arguges, major actors of the nobility of the Cotentin.

Future

Since 1968, thanks to the volunteers who renovated him, he has gradually regained his previous aspect. In 2003, it received nearly 12,600 visitors.

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