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Origin and history

The Manneville estate, also known as Lantheuil Castle, is an emblematic building of Calvados, located in the communes of Ponts sur Seulles, Creully sur Seulles and Saint-Gabriel-Brécy. Built in the 2nd quarter of the 17th century in a Louis XIII style, it is the work of Jacques Turgot, son of Antoine Turgot de Saint Clair, who acquired the property in 1613. The central body, made of Orival stone, was later flanked by two wings in return by the grandson of Antoine, before the end of the seventeenth century. The estate illustrates classical French architecture, with a Mansart roof and a campanile housing a clock.

During the Second World War, the castle suffered degradation: occupied by a German staff in June 1940, it was looted and damaged by the explosion of a bomb. Gunshots remain visible on the walls. The interior preserves memories of the 17th and 18th centuries, as well as of the Empire era, including objects related to Marshal Mouton, Count of Lobau, aide de camp de Napoléon. The library houses rare volumes, including the appointment of Anne Robert Jacques Turgot (descendant of the family) as Comptroller General of Finance under Louis XVI.

The estate extends over a majestic park, accessible since the 18th century by an avenue of honour of 800 meters, bordered by purple and green tricentennial beech. Ranked a historic monument in 1931 (declared cancelled), then again in 2008 with expanded protection, the site includes the castle, a chapel, moats, gardens, and outbuildings. The Turgot family, in particular Louis-Félix Étienne, Marquis de Turgot, a pair from France under the Monarchy of July, marked its history with renovations, such as the reconstruction of the eastern wing.

The castle's architecture is distinguished by its elevated central pavilion, its ionic pilasters surrounding the bays of the perron, and its balustrade on the north terrace. The noble materials, such as Orival stone, and the decorative elements (campanile, skylights) reflect the prestige of its owners. The estate, still linked to local history, bears witness to the architectural and political evolutions of Normandy, from the Turgot to the Napoleonic Empire.

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