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Origin and history

The castle of Tilly, located in Boissey-le-Châtel in the Eure, is a house of the first half of the sixteenth century, built around 1530-1535 for Claude I Le Roux, Viscount d'Elbeuf and adviser to the Parliament of Normandy. It replaces a primitive 11th century castle, of which only the crenelated wall remains. The building, rectangular in brick and stone, was initially covered with two roofs in the pavilion, now replaced by a single roof. Its front façade is flanked by two round towers, while the rear has a central turret housing a helical staircase called "at the Rihour", topped by a gazebo.

The castle welcomed King Francis I in 1535, the very year of its completion. Some historians, such as Philippe Seydoux, attribute its construction to the parents of Claude Le Roux, Guillaume II Le Roux and Jeanne Jubert, from the beginning of the sixteenth century. The estate then passes through successive alliances with the Anzeray families of Courvaudon (late 17th century), Baudouin de Gonzeville (XVIII century), then Le Viconte de Blangy after the Revolution. The latter, mayor of Boissey-le-Châtel and deputy for the Eure, had the castle restored under the Second Empire. Sold in 1897 to M. Lainé-Condé, he underwent a new restoration campaign (1897-1905) by architect Émile Janet, modifying facades and interiors.

Occupied during the Second World War (1940-1944), the castle served as temporary accommodation after 1945 before being abandoned in the 1980s. A large restoration from 1990 gives it its original brilliance. The site preserves a feudal motte in the adjoining forest, which bears witness to its medieval past. The ovoid enclosure, with round towers with firemouths, and the half-timbered commons (enlarged around 1900) complete the whole. The castle, its dovecote and its courtines have been listed as historical monuments since 1932, supplemented in 2007 by the protection of the commons and the plated terrain.

Architecturally, Tilly Castle illustrates the transition between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, mixing defensive elements (created enclosure) and residential elements (legant logis, staircase to the Rihour). Its history reflects Norman noble alliances, from Le Roux to Blangy, as well as the successive adaptations to usages and times, until its contemporary preservation.

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