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Origin and history

The castle of Vienne-en-Bessin, nicknamed Le Vieux Château, is an architectural complex located in the municipality of Vienne-en-Bessin, in the department of Calvados. It consists mainly of a manor farm dating from the 15th century and a dovecote built in the 17th century. This complex, which has been part of the historical monuments since 1932, illustrates the evolution of seigneurial constructions in Normandy, combining medieval defensive elements and modern agricultural developments.

The seigneury originally belonged to the lords of Creully, a noble Norman family. In 1643, Peter of Harcourt, descendant of this line, gave the estate to the Sillans family. The site preserves a limestone portal of the late 15th century, decorated with animal sculptures, as well as a dovecote whose careful decoration symbolized seigneurial prestige. These elements reflect the social and economic transformations of the region between the Middle Ages and the modern era.

The architecture of the castle reveals several construction campaigns. In the 15th or early 16th century, the house, the stables, and a barn were built, followed by major renovations in the mid 17th century: the house was enlarged, a cider press was built, and a dovecote was added. In the 18th century, a new house was built separately, leaving the old buildings to become a farm. Some of the structures were demolished in the 19th century, especially in 1860, when materials were reused for a nearby convent.

The facades and roofs of the Old Castle, overlooking the courtyard, the road and the countryside, have been protected since 1932. The site thus bears witness to the transformation of a seigneurial estate into a farm, while preserving traces of its noble past. Historical sources, such as the works of Arcisse de Caumont or the Flohic editions, document its architectural evolution and its anchoring in Calvadosian heritage.

Today, the castle remains a characteristic example of Norman castle-farms, where medieval heritage and adaptations of the Modern Times combine. Its dovecote, often associated with a symbol of power, and its carved portal make it a remarkable site for the study of noble rural habitat in Lower Normandy.

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