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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Beaumont hotel, built in the 18th century in Valognes, is one of the few testimonies of the Norman aristocratic fascist of that time. Originally, a 17th-century pavilion belonged to the Marquis de Fontenay, Hervé II Le Berceur, before being acquired around 1695 by Charles Jallot, Count of Beaumont-Hague. The latter began expansion work, laying the foundations of the present building. Charles' nephew, Pierre-Guillaume Jallot, heir in 1718, radically transformed the pavilion into a mansion between 1767 and 1771, with the help of architect Raphaël de Lozon. The ensemble, of late rock style, became a symbol of the 'Normand Versailles', reflecting the wealth of local families linked to the maritime race.

The French Revolution marked a turning point for the hotel: declared national, it was looted and converted into a house of detention before sheltering the revenue of finances. The family of Mesnildot, allied with the Jallot by the marriage of Jeanne-Félicité Jallot with Jacques-Louis-Gabriel du Mesnildot, finally recovered the good. In the 19th century, the hotel changed hands several times, passing in particular to the Counts of Aigneaux and then to the Froidefond family of Florian. He was occupied by the Prussians under the First Empire and then by the Wehrmacht during the Second World War, and even served as a residence for Marshal Rommel in 1944. Damaged during the bombings of June 1944, it was restored by Count Xavier de Florian and his heirs, the Courtils.

The architecture of the Beaumont hotel is distinguished by a facade of fifty meters, decorated with a rounded central forebody and a wrought iron balcony. The interior houses a double-revolution staircase with a stone bridge of six meters, as well as lounges with period panelling. The French garden, decorated with a sculpture by Pomone, completes this collection classified as a historical monument in 1927 and 1979. Today the property of Countess Claire des Courtils, the hotel is visited in the summer and at cultural events, perpetuating its aristocratic and literary heritage, notably linked to Jules Barbey d'Aurevilly.

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