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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

Galleville Castle is a late seventeenth century residence built in the Louis XIII style on the town of Doudeville, in the Seine-Maritime. Acquised in 1660 by Jacques Roque, lord of Varengeville, the land is transformed into a castle representative of the seigneurial residences of the period, mixing brick, sandstone and flint. The estate then passed to his daughter, Jeanne Angélique Roque de Varengeville, wife of Marshal de Villars, who inherited it in 1702.

In the 18th century, the castle changed hands several times, notably after the sale by the second Duke of Villars in 1764. Occupied by Germans during World War II, he suffered a fire in 1943 and was restored after the conflict. A first major restoration took place in 1905-1906 under the direction of architect René Martin, while later works preserved its historic character.

Ranked a historic monument in 1984, the castle is distinguished by its long body of houses flanked by two wings, its remarkable park and outbuildings (commons, pavilions, dovecote). The facades, roofs and landscape elements (aisles, walls, booms) are protected, illustrating the heritage importance of the site. Private property, it embodies the architectural and noble heritage of Normandy.

The domain reflects the social changes of its time: from aristocratic residence in the seventeenth century (linked to the court of Louis XIV via the Roques and Villars) to bourgeois property and then international property in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Its occupation during the war and its successive restorations testify to its resilience and local anchor.

Historical sources, such as the works of Georges Dubosc (1921) or the archives of the Merimée base, underline his role in the landscape of the Cauchian castles. Today, although private, it remains a symbol of Norman heritage, combining history, architecture and nature.

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