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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

Hermival Castle, located in Hermival-les-Vaux in Calvados, is a house whose origins date back to the middle of the sixteenth century, but whose present structure dates mainly from the seventeenth century, with major changes in the eighteenth century. The building, built of cut stone, is distinguished by a body of rectangular houses flanked by two stone and pink brick dacher pavilions, witness to its Renaissance architectural heritage. The west facade, adorned with a forebody surmounted by a triangular pediment, contrasts with the east facade, rebuilt in the eighteenth century, illustrating the stylistic evolutions of the building over the centuries.

In the 18th century, the castle belonged to the Bosch family before passing, at the end of this century, into the hands of François-Étienne Doisnel. In the 19th century, the estate changed ownership several times: it was first acquired by M. de Boctey, then in 1865 by Alfred Fleuriot, whose family kept the castle until 1949. In that year, the widow of Jean Fleuriot, heir to Alfred, sold it to the community of the Sisters of the Good Saviour of Caen, marking a transition to a religious and social vocation.

The facades of the castle are partially listed as historic monuments by decree of 19 January 1927, thus recognizing its heritage value. The site, located southeast of the town of Hermival-les-Vaux, near the church and on the banks of the Paquine River, embodies local history and the evolution of the regional elites, from the noble families of the eighteenth century to the religious congregations of the twentieth century. Its architecture, combining stone and brick, reflects both the prestige of the former owners and the successive adaptations of the building.

The architectural description reveals a building marked by its central forebody and pediment-shaped skylight, characteristic elements of modern-day seigneurial residences. The pavilions of the corner, made of pink brick, recall the constructions of the Renaissance, highlighting the superposition of the epochs in this monument. Today, the castle remains a testament to the social and architectural dynamics of Normandy, from the Ancien Régime to the present day.

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