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Origin and history

The Château de Regnéville, founded in the 12th century by Henri I Beauclerc, has been attested since 1141 as a Norman ducal. Its quadrangular dungeon, typical of Romanesque architecture, and its strategic location near the harbour of Regnéville made it a major challenge to control Lower Normandy. The Dukes of Normandy and Kings of England, like John without Earth, protected the English merchants disembarking for the regional fairs (Agon, Gavray). In 1204, Philippe Auguste joined the French royal estate after the conquest of Normandy.

In the 14th century, Charles the Bad, king of Navarre and count d'Evreux, inherited the castle and undertook important fortifications (1364), using materials from the destroyed castle of Montchaton. Allied with the English during the Hundred Years' War, he made it a strategic base until it was taken over by Du Guesclin in 1378 on behalf of Charles V. The castle, returned to Navarre in 1380, finally returned to the royal estate in 1404 under Charles VI. His military role culminated during the English occupation (1418–1449), where he served as a base for the siege of Mont-Saint-Michel (1425) before being taken over by Richemont in 1449.

The fortress, damaged by storms and sieges, was dismantled in 1637 by order of Richelieu after the Protestant rebellion of Isaac of Piennes. The dungeon, symbol of the city, bursts during its partial destruction (powder in the screw staircase), projecting blocks to the nearby cemetery. In the 19th century, the site houses a marble sawmill and an oyster farm before its acquisition in 1989 by the departmental council of the Manche. Ranked a historic monument in 1991, it is the subject of excavations and restorations to restore its 16th century physiognomy.

The castle consisted of a high courtyard in the east, with its 30 meters dungeon (walls 3 m thick), and a west lowyard housing the residence of Charles the Bad. The Sea Gate (14th century), built by Bishop Robert Porte, controlled access to the medieval port, then one of the most active in the Cotentin. The garrisons, modest (5–6 gunmen and 15 archers), defended a site designed for a concentration of defences, with uninterrupted round paths. Three snakes were installed in the 15th century.

Today, protected remains include courtyards re-used in houses, the foundations of the high court (filtered in 1991–1993), and the courtyard being restored. The partially collapsed dungeon preserves traces of its 16th century staircase and bays pierced by Roulland de Gourfaleur. The lower courtyard, rebuilt after 1637, combines medieval elements (jehan Louvet ostels) and Renaissance facilities, such as the first floor gallery.

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