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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The castle of Bonneville, located in Chamblac in the Eure, is a 16th and 18th century residence, partly listed as historical monuments. It was owned by the Bonneville family until the 18th century, before passing to the Mallard de La Varende by inheritance. The last Bonneville, Nicolas, MP for the States General of 1789, rebuilt it after a fire in the mid-18th century, giving it its present appearance in bricks and mansard roofs.

In 1919, the writer Jean de La Varende (1887-1959), a grand-son of admiral and passionate about marine, settled there after a childhood marked by the nostalgia of his native Normandy. He restored the castle there, wrote his literary work, and created a park classified in 1964, adorned with carved boxwood and water. The castle now houses its collection of 200 models of boats, as well as the headquarters of the association for a future museum dedicated to it.

The estate, transmitted by inheritance, now belongs to Prince Charles-Édouard de Broglie, Mayor of Chamblac, and to his wife, Laure Mallard de La Varende. The castle is distinguished by its architecture in orange red bricks on limestone base, its square turrets, and its blue slates, characteristic that La Varende described as a mixture of pink and blue, evoking timeless elegance. Two elements are protected: the large living room and the bishop's bedroom (1978), as well as facades and roofs (1991).

The castle is inseparable from local and literary history. Jean de La Varende, inspired by this place full of family memories, made it a symbol of the country of Ouche, which he celebrated in Châteaux de Normandie (1958). His novel "Love de Monsieur de Bonneville" (1956) is also based on family archives, telling the story of Nicolas de Bonneville, the last of his lineage, and his deceased wife without descendants. The estate, never sold, thus embodies a rare historical continuity.

The feudal origins of the castle date back to the 15th century, when the fief de Bonneville was part of the Baronie de Ferrières, which was incorporated in 1742 in the Duchy of Broglie. The Bonneville family, whose weapons were silver to two lions leoparded by mouths, lived there until the extinction of his male lineage. The castle then passed to the Mallard de La Varende, of which Léon, lieutenant-colonel and deputy for the Eure, settled in 1805. His great grandson, Jean, lived there until his death in 1959, perpetuating the cultural and historical heritage of the site.

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