Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Carneville came into being in the early seventeenth century, with the construction of a first mansion in 1640 by François Simon (c. 1592-1660), local lord. This mansion, still visible today, was completed in 1699 by a second building commissioned by his son, Hervé François Simon (1652-1708). These two buildings, later transformed into outbuildings, illustrate the Norman rural architecture of the period, with local materials such as the pink granite of Fermanville and the shale.

The present castle was erected in 1755 by François Hervé Simon de Carneville (1721-1798), inspired by the castle of Saint-Pierre-Eglise. This new house, of classic style, incorporates a bakery and a park with trees, reflecting the physiocratic ideas of agricultural development. The property, which had 75 apartments and 7 hectares of land in 1835, was described as a prosperous estate, close to the towns of Valognes and Cherbourg. Its park, built on old marshes dried between 1764 and 1770, combines a French-style garden with landscape elements.

The French Revolution marked a turning point for the family of Carneville: two brothers, François Charles Adrien (1754-1816) and Georges François (1750-1837), cavalry officers, emigrated to serve in the army of the Princes and then that of the Emperor of Austria. François Charles Adrien, feld-maréchal and chamberlain, even financed a "Legion de Normandie" in 1792. The castle, confiscated and sold in 1836 to a lawyer from Avranches, changed hands several times before being bought in 1880 by Georges Ernest Symon (1831-1915), thus restoring the family bond.

In the 20th century, Count René Clérel de Tocqueville (1899-1989), Mayor of Carneville, undertook major restoration work after 1945, while his daughter, Helen, created a rose garden in the park. In 2011, the castle was acquired by an antique dealer, then by Guillaume Garbe in 2012, who launched safeguard work and opened the park to the public. Ranked a historic monument in 1975 for its facades, roofs and interior decorations, the castle benefits in 2018 from the Heritage Lotto for its preservation.

The architecture of the castle is distinguished by a body of quadrangular logis 26 meters long, surmounted by curved dormers and flanked by a central forebody with triangular pediment. The courtyard of honour, furnished by René de Tocqueville, is preceded by an alley lined with centuries-old trees, including an oak aged 600 years. The outbuildings, including two 17th century manor houses and a 1725 bakery, reflect the evolution of the estate, while an 18th century cooler and a chapel added by the Tocquevilles complete the whole.

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