Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Juvigny-sur-Seulles, located in the Calvados department in Normandy, was rebuilt in 1743 by Augustin-François de Malherbe, following the plans of architect Jean François Blondel. This monument perfectly illustrates the architecture of the noble residences of Bessin and the plain of Caen in the 18th century. Despite the damage suffered during the wars, its interior preserves period woodwork, painted hazes, parquet floors and alcoves, testimonies of its original fascist.

The park, characteristic of the 18th century gardens, organizes around radiant paths forming star-shaped intersections. An ovoid forecourt, partially modified in the 19th century by the route of a road, precedes a rectangular court of honor surrounded by moat. The main axis crosses the castle (via the vestibule and the reception hall) to extend through a large parterre, a room d'eau, and an alley called "the poet Malherbe", leading to a clearing where a statue was once found today disappeared. An obelisk, erected in 1785 by André Le Play, marks one of the secondary perspectives.

Ranked as a Historic Monument from January 6, 1930 for the castle, then extended in 2008 to the park, its hydraulic and obelisk facilities, the whole remains a private property not open to the public. Protected features also include access lanes and various surrounding locations, reflecting the heritage significance of the site.

The castle is part of a regional context marked by the influence of the Norman elites of the eighteenth century, where seigneurial residences served as both a symbol of power and a place of sociability. The Caen plain, an agricultural and strategic land, saw the development of fields combining landscape aesthetics and functionality, as evidenced by the moat and visual perspectives of Juvigny.

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