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Origin and history

The castle of Servigny, located in the Cotentin, is a home of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries profoundly transformed in the nineteenth century. Originally built in the 16th century, it passed in 1629 to Guillaume Plessard, king's attorney, and then to his descendants, including Antoine Plessard, king's adviser. In 1740, it was acquired by René Abaquesné de Parfouru, before being modernized between 1872 and 1880 by Gaston Abaquesné de Parfouru and his wife, with the help of architect Eugène Barthélémy. The castle then adopts a neo-Renaissance style, mixing pavilions, turrets and an English park planted with exotic essences.

During World War II, the castle became the headquarters of American General Lawton Collins in June 1944. The German surrender of Cherbourg by Governor Von Schlieben was signed in his salon on 26 June, followed by that of General Sattler the following day. These events marked a turning point in the Liberation of Normandy, and Collins returned to the castle for the commemorations of 1974 and 1984.

After the war, the castle remained a private property, owned in 2020 by Count Arnaud de Pontac. Although not open to the public, it offers guest rooms and retains remarkable elements, such as a marble fireplace of Carrara from the Medici Palace, woodwork and an 18th century wrought iron staircase. Its historic salon, where the capitulation was signed, has been protected as historical monuments since 1979.

Architecturally, the castle combines a central house flanked by two pavilions, one of which, built in 1683, has low arched doors. The pediment carries the arms of the Abaquéné families of Parfouru and Mesenge, while a 14th century turret remains behind. The estate also includes greenhouses decorated with the monogram "PM", a farm with stables and presses, and a crenelated porch of the sixteenth century, a witness of its defensive past.

The castle is also linked to literature: Jules Barbey d-Aurevilly situated there the action of one of his Diabolics, The Happiness in Crime. Today, it remains a symbol of both French military history and Norman architectural heritage, between Renaissance heritage and 19th century transformations.

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