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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Miromesnil Castle is a late 16th century residence, located mainly in the town of Tourville-sur-Arques (Seine-Maritime), with a chapel on Saint-Aubin-sur-Scie. Built between 1590 and 1600 by Jacques Ier Dyel after the destruction of the family castle in 1589, it was completed by his nephew Jacques II Dyel, who added the north façade of Louis XIII style and the bell towers. The land was erected as a marquisat in 1689 by Louis XIV.

In the 18th century, the castle belonged to Armand Thomas Hue de Miromesnil, who kept seals under Louis XVI, whose local popularity protected the estate during the Revolution. His daughter inherited it after his death in 1796. The castle, rented by Guy de Maupassant's family (born on site in 1850), was modified in the 19th century with the addition of floors to the side pavilions.

Acquired in 1938 by nephews of Eugene-Melchior de Vogüé, the castle was classified in 1942 but suffered a fire in 1945. Purchased in 2004 by the grandchildren of Bertrand de Vogüé, it preserves remarkable gardens, a 15th century chapel and a vegetable garden redesigned in 1945. The south facade remains Henry IV style, while the north adopts the Louis XIII style.

The votive chapel dedicated to St.Antoine l'Ermite, built in sandstone and flint between the late 15th and early 16th centuries, houses polychrome statues and period stained glass windows. Served by the monks of the Abbey of Fécamp until the Revolution, it was classified as a historical monument in 1957. The gardens, enclosed with brick walls and dominated by a bicentennial cedar, are surrounded by a futai of 3,000 beech trees.

The estate illustrates the architectural evolution of the 16th to 19th centuries, combining Henry IV and Louis XIII styles, while playing a role in literary history as the birthplace of Maupassant. The successive protections (registration in 1945, partial classification) underline its heritage value, reinforced by the label "remarkable garden" for its outdoor spaces.

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