Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Fontaine-Henry, built from the 13th century on the site of an 11th century fortress, is first owned by the Tilly family, of which Henry participates in the eighth crusade. The Romanesque chapel, vaulted dogives in the 13th century, and the vaulted cellars of the seigneurial house remain from this medieval era. The Hundred Years' War partially destroyed the building, before it was rebuilt by the Harcourt family from 1374, after the marriage of Jeanne de Tilly with Philip of Harcourt.

Between the end of the 15th century and the 1560s, the Harcourts radically transformed the castle, giving it its present appearance combining Louis XII and Renaissance styles. Jean d'Harcourt and his son Pierre, Baron de Briouze, undertake an ambitious reconstruction: monumental facades, adorned skylights, and an atypical square staircase tower, inspired by the castles of Blois and Meillant. The Italian influence is marked by arabesques and pilasters, while the roofs culminating at 15 meters become an architectural signature.

In the 16th century, architect Blaise Le Prestre completed the western facade of the "Large Pavilion" in a Second Renaissance style, juxtaposing doric, ionic and Corinthian orders. The interior decorations, such as the High Relief of Judith and Holopherne, and the gardens (medieval, hortus concluded, and Gerbe du Parnasse) reflect this stylistic evolution. The castle, never sold, is passed by inheritance to the current owners of Oilliamson, who open it to the public.

Ranked a historic monument in 2011, the estate includes a 13th century chapel, a 72-hectare English park (classified in 1959), and houses a collection of paintings (Rubens, Titian, Mignard) formed during the Revolution. The facades, designed to impress from the Thaon road via the "Gloria Laus" door, symbolize Norman nobiliary power throughout the centuries.

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