Construction of Renaissance Castle 1562-1575 (≈ 1569)
Built by the brothers John II and James de Ravalet.
2 décembre 1603
Execution of Julien and Marguerite de Ravalet
Execution of Julien and Marguerite de Ravalet 2 décembre 1603 (≈ 1603)
Sentenced for incest in Paris.
1859
Restoration by Édouard de Tocqueville
Restoration by Édouard de Tocqueville 1859 (≈ 1859)
Modernisation of the castle and park.
1872
Park development by René de Tocqueville
Park development by René de Tocqueville 1872 (≈ 1872)
Creation of the greenhouse, caves and ponds.
1935
Acquisition by the city of Cherbourg
Acquisition by the city of Cherbourg 1935 (≈ 1935)
Park becomes public garden.
4 mars 1996
Historical monument classification
Historical monument classification 4 mars 1996 (≈ 1996)
Protection of the castle and its park.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Castle, including the remains of the old tower; park as delimited on the plan attached to the file, including in particular: the elements of decoration (the cave, the two arcades, remains of the old communes, the two cast iron basins located in front of the greenhouse); the greenhouse; the old access avenue; The hydraulic system: moats bordering the courtyard of honour and the communes to the west, the pond to the north, the rectangular basin to the east, the water supply with its structures, including the Costils pond located upstream; the old turbine of the castle and the remains of the mill located below in front of the entrance of the courtyard of honor of the castle (cad. Tourlaville AL 43, placed Le Pré Mare, 48, 49, 78, placed Le Jardin, 50, placed Le Vieil Etang, 51, placed La Chesnais, 55, placed Le Château, 56, placed Rue du Château des Ravallets, 57, placed L'Etang from behind the Castle; AM 7, placed Le Pré des Fonds ; ZB 15, placed L'Avenue du Château ; Glacery ZA 76, takes place The Costils) ; rural road number 34 non-cadastre comprising the remains of the turbine and the old mill in its enlarged part facing the entrance of the courtyard of honor of the castle, between parcels ZC 57 and 58 of the cadastre of Tourlaville; non-cadastre bief, located at the right of parcels ZC 56 and 64 of the cadastre of Tourlaville and at the right of parcel ZA 79 of the cadastre of La Glacerie (limit of the communes of La Glacerie and Tourlaville): classification by order of 4 March 1996
Key figures
Jean II de Ravalet - Abbé and Lord of Tourlaville
Sponsor of Renaissance Castle in 1562.
Julien de Ravalet - Noble convicted of incest
Executed with his sister Marguerite in 1603.
Marguerite de Ravalet - Tragic figure of the castle
Heroin of forbidden love with Julien.
Édouard de Tocqueville - Castle restaurant
Modernized the building in 1859.
René de Tocqueville - Planner of the exotic park
Created greenhouses and gardens in the 19th century.
Valentin Lenavettier - Owner in 1910
Purchase before sale in the city.
Origin and history
The Château des Ravalet, also known as Tourlaville Castle, is a Renaissance residence built between 1562 and 1575 on the ruins of a medieval mansion, at the initiative of the brothers John II and Jacques de Ravalet. Located in Cherbourg-en-Cotentin (Manche), it is emblematic of the Côtentin architecture, with its sill windows, carved windows and corner turrets. The estate, originally divided into two fiefs, became a vast seigneurial ensemble under the Ravalet, before being marked by the drama of the incestuous loves of Julien and Marguerite de Ravalet, executed in 1603.
In the 19th century, the castle was deeply transformed by Tocqueville's family: Edward de Tocqueville restored it in 1859, while his son René, Mayor of Tourlaville, added neo-medieval elements (crennel towers, scauguettes) and built a 14-hectare romantic park with a greenhouse, caves and ponds. The estate, acquired by the city in 1935, was classified as a historic monument in 1996. Its park, labeled Remarkable Garden, houses exotic species introduced by René de Tocqueville, such as eucalyptus and palm trees.
The castle is inseparable from the tragic history of the Ravalet: Julien and Marguerite, brother and sister, condemned for incest and beheaded in place of Grève in Paris in 1603. Their memory haunts places, especially the blue room, where a posthumous portrait of Marguerite, surrounded by love, recalls their destiny. The castle, occupied during the two world wars, also served as a military hospital in 1914-15. Today it is owned by the city, it is partially visited, while its park, opened since 1960, offers an exceptional landscape.
The building combines medieval remains (donjon, moat) with a Renaissance structure in blue schist, typical of Cotentin. The symmetric south façade is decorated with two cylindrical towers and a volute-shaped perron, while the north facade, more heteroclite, dominates a pond. Inside, the guard room preserves a monumental 16th century fireplace, and the large living room exhibits a painting commissioned in 1665, Marguerite and Les Amours. The hydraulic system, including moats and ponds, bears witness to the ingenuity of 19th-century developments.
The castle inspired the arts: Jules Barbey d-Aurevilly made it the setting of his new A history page (1867), and Valérie Donzelli shot Marguerite and Julien (2015), freely adapted from the drama of the Ravalet. Ranked with its park, hydraulic system and outbuildings (serre, cave, remains of the mill), the estate illustrates both the Renaissance heritage and the eclectic transformations of the 19th century, while remaining a romantic symbol of Normandy.
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