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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The castle of Bizy, located in Vernon in Normandy, finds its origins in the 14th century with the seigneury of Jean de Tilly, Sire de Blaru, who acquired it by marriage. In the 17th century, Michel-André Jubert de Bouville, a state councillor, erected the seigneury as a marquisat and built a first castle of elongated plan, flanked by pavilions and preceded by horseshoe perons. The estate then passed into the hands of notable figures in the history of France, including the Duke of Belle-Isle, grandson of Fouquet, who undertook immense work between 1721 and 1761, transforming Bizy into a 'Normand Versailles'. He even welcomed Louis XV and Madame de Pompadour in 1749.

In 1761, upon the death of the Marshal of Belle-Isle, the estate returned to the king before being exchanged to the Earl of Eu, then bequeathed to the Duke of Penthièvre, son of the Count of Toulouse and grandson of Louis XIV. The latter made it his principal residence until his death in 1793. Confiscated during the Revolution, the castle was partially destroyed, then bought in 1805 by General Lesuire, who built a more modest house there. In 1817, the Duchess of Orléans, the mother of Louis-Philippe, recovered the estate, which was later enlarged and embellished by her son, future king of the French, with the addition of wings, the creation of an English park and the planting of remarkable trees.

In 1858, Baron Fernand de Schickler, descendant of a family of Prussian financiers, acquired Bizy and undertook a major reconstruction of the central body of the castle in a neo-classical italianist style, inspired by the Albani Palace in Rome. It incorporates exceptional woodwork from Bercy Castle and leaves the estate to his nephew, the Duke of Albufera, who completes the work by closing the court of honour with two wings. The castle, still owned by the d'Albufera family, today retains its historic hydraulic network, fountains and classified stables, witness to its past prestige. Its architecture and history make it a jewel of Norman heritage, attracting even film shoots, such as that of Colonel Chabert in 1994.

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