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Origin and history

Château du Troncq is a monument of the municipality of the same name, located in the Eure department of Normandy. Built between the second half of the 16th and 18th centuries, it illustrates the transition architecture between Louis XIII styles and subsequent additions. The estate consists of a body of brick and stone houses, an 18th century wing, and an octagonal dovecote dating from the late 16th or early 17th century. These elements reflect the evolution of constructive techniques and aristocratic tastes over nearly two centuries.

The fief du Troncq was acquired around 1514 by Gilles Le Cordier, shortly after its annoyance, marking the beginning of a long family possession until 1742. The estate then passed into the hands of the Savary families, then De The Hague in 1787. Between 1890 and 1925, an industrialist from Elbeuf became the owner and undertook important restorations of the castle, while preserving the integrity of the park and its groves, the route of which corresponds to the old plans. These 20th century interventions, while modernizing, partially respected the historic spirit of the site.

The Troncq estate is now partially protected under the Historical Monuments: the facades and roofs of the castle, as well as the park with its fence walls, were registered in 1997, while the dovecote was classified in 1999. A supplementary inscription in 2021 extended protection to elements such as concierge, entrance pavilion and kennel. These measures highlight the heritage value of a complex where architecture, family history and landscape have been mingling for five centuries.

The park, still enclosed with walls, retains remarkable landscape arrangements, including groves whose organization dates back to ancient times. Although dependencies underwent transformations in the 20th century, they are integrated into a context where history is read through materials (brick, stone) and volumes. The dovecote, a utilitarian building that became a symbol of prestige, bears witness to the seigneurial practices of the Ancien Régime, while the restorations of the early twentieth century reveal the enthusiasm of the epoch for the Norman rural heritage.

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