Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Brécourt, located in Douains in the department of Eure (Normandy), is a residence of the first quarter of the seventeenth century, partially renovated in the eighteenth century. Built around 1625 by Jean Jubert, adviser to the Grand Council, it replaces an older mansion linked to the Jubert family, local lords since 1531. The site, lined with moat and integrated into a forest park, illustrates the influence of Norman elites under Louis XIII, mixing pink bricks and cut stone.

The castle was marked by tumultuous events, including its looting in 1793 during the Battle of Brécourt, between Conventionnels and Fédérés. Sold as a national asset after the Revolution, it passed into the hands of historical figures such as Marshal Pérignon (1802), then American ambassador Norman Armour (1930). In the 20th century, it successively became a hotel-restaurant and suffered damage during the Second World War, before being partially protected in 1967.

The architecture combines a body of central houses flanked by symmetrical pavilions, decorated with corbelled turrets and varnished bricks. The commons of the 18th century and the lateral wings of the 19th complete the whole, while the interiors preserve woodwork of the 16th and 18th centuries. The park, transformed into a landscaped garden in the 19th century, houses the remains of a Notre Dame chapel, demolished in 1955 with the exception of its facade. The tombstone of the Jubert brothers, dated the 16th century, recalls the family anchor of the estate.

Ranked a historic monument for its facades, roofs and moats, the castle of Brécourt bears witness to the social and architectural changes of Normandy, from the wars of Religion to the contemporary era. Its history also reflects the vagaries of private property, between noble heritages, revolutionary spoliations and tourist conversions.

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