Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château Saint-Hilaire, located south of Louviers in the Eure, finds its origins in a 15th century seigneurial mansion, the fief of the Epervier. This estate, confiscated by Henry V of England during the Hundred Years War, passes into the hands of bourgeois and noble families, including Le Roux, Romé, and Le Vicomte de Saint-Hilaire. In the 18th century, it was passed on to the Marguerit, before being sold in 1880 to Eugène Léon Sée, sub-prefect of Louviers, who built a neo-classical stone house there.

In 1901, the castle was acquired by Jules Rodolphe Audresset, then transformed in 1907 by his daughter Cécile and her husband Pierre Reveillehac. The architect Henri Jacquelin rearranged it in a picturesque Anglo-Norman style, reusing ancient materials such as half-timbers and elements of a demolished Dieppoise abbey. The chapel is converted into a living room-library, while the real chapel remains in an outbuilding. The estate, occupied during World War II, was restored in 1989 by the company Videlec (Groupe Bocquillon), which established its headquarters there.

The castle illustrates the regionalist current of the early twentieth century, mixing neo-Gothic and medieval references. It was listed as a historical monument in 2002, and also benefits from the 20th century heritage label. Its history reflects architectural and social evolutions, from feudal lords to modern industrialists, to aesthetic transformations inspired by the past.

The estate, bordered by the river Eure, preserves traces of its seigneurial heritage, as the name Folleville given in 1692 by Marie Romé and Pierre-Jacques Le Vicomte. The recovered materials, such as stained glass or woodwork, show an unusual heritage preservation concern for the time. Today, the castle remains a notable example of Norman architectural eclecticism, between tradition and modernity.

Future

It benefits from the Label "Heritage of the 20th Century".

External links