Construction of the mansion 1560–1588 (≈ 1574)
Period of building attributed to Pharamond du Flot.
1588
Engraved inscription
Engraved inscription 1588 (≈ 1588)
Date mentioned with the names of the manufacturers.
6 septembre 1996
Historical monument classification
Historical monument classification 6 septembre 1996 (≈ 1996)
Housing and soil registration.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Manoir, i.e. the house, the whole of the building and the floors (case AH 86): inscription by order of 6 September 1996
Key figures
Pharamond du Flot - Suspected shipowner
Traditional owner of the mansion.
Toussaint Sombret - Manufacturer mentioned
Cited in the inscription of 1588.
Catherine Bello - Lady of Ménerval
Associated with construction.
Origin and history
The Manor of the Flot is an emblematic residence of the second half of the 16th century, located in the commune of Bully, in the Seine-Maritime (Normandie). Built between 1560 and 1588, it illustrates the brick architecture typical of the Second Renaissance, with monumental chimneys adorned with datlants or cariatides. Its isolation in the grasslands, near the Quièvrecourt road, reinforces its historical and picturesque character.
Traditionally attributed to Pharamond du Flot, an enriched shipowner, the mansion also bears the traces of Toussaint Sombret, Loys Legoix and Catherine Bello, mentioned in an inscription dated 1588. This engraving, "Le logis de céans fust raised by...", attests to their role in its construction or financing. The building, organised around a closed courtyard, reflects the social status of its sponsors.
Ranked a historic monument by decree of 6 September 1996, the Manor of the Flot includes in its protection the house, the whole of the building and the floors. Its inscription underlines its heritage importance, both for its architecture and for its connection to Normandy's maritime and land history. Sources, such as Monumentum and Wikipedia, confirm its attribution to the period 1560–88 and its precise location at Bully (code Insee 76147).
The mansion is part of a regional context marked by the rise of shipowners and local elites in the 16th century. The Seine-Maritime, which was then dynamic thanks to maritime commerce, saw seigneurial or bourgeois residences flourish. The Mansion du Flot, with its refined decorative elements, bears witness to this prosperity and cultural exchanges with the Italian Renaissance.
Today, the mansion remains a remarkable example of Norman architectural heritage, accessible through practical information (visits, GPS location). Its history, linked to figures like Pharamond du Flot, enriches the understanding of economic and social networks of the modern era in France.
