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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

Victot Castle, located in Calvados in Normandy, has its origins in the 13th century with a medieval fortress owned by the family of Victot. As early as 1160, Hugues de Victot was mentioned in donations to the Priory of Saint-Hymer. In the 15th century, the lands passed to the Boutin family, and in 1574, Philippe Boutin and his wife Geneviève de Crosmare, financially supported by Robert de Crosmare (advisor to the Rouen Parliament), rebuilt the castle in the Renaissance style.

In the 18th century, the estate belonged to the Le Normand du Val family, of which François Claude Le Normand, king's secretary-counsellor, died there in 1773. In 1798 Pierre Aumont, a supplier of horses for Napoleonic armies, acquired the castle. His son, Pierre-Alexandre Aumont, developed stables at the beginning of the 19th century, making Victot a famous stud. The wooden panels, visible on the 1812 cadastre, testify to this period.

The castle illustrates the architecture of the Second Renaissance, with moats, a water mirror and an inner courtyard. Protected in 1927 (partial inscription), it was classified for its facades, roofs and moats in 1953, while the studs and chapel were registered in 2003. The surroundings have been a listed natural site since 1943, highlighting its heritage and landscape importance.

The stables, built by Pierre Aumont around 1800, reflect the family's chivalry passion since the seventeenth century. Alexandre Aumont directed the haras around 1900, perpetuating this tradition. The hydraulic system of the moats and the chapel complete this ensemble, mixing aristocratic history, Renaissance architecture and equestrian heritage.

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