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Castle à Villons-les-Buissons dans le Calvados

Calvados

Castle

    16 Rue des Sherbrookes Fusilliers
    14610 Villons-les-Buissons
Crédit photo : Ikmo-ned - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1700
1800
1900
2000
années 1730
Construction of main house
1912
Acquisition by the family Le Marinier
1939-1944
Requisition during World War II
12 avril 2022
Registration for Historic Monuments
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

The following parts of the castle: the main house body, in total, the facades and roofs of the lower wings in alignment, the library chimney, as delimited on the plan annexed to the decree, located 2 rue de Cambes, on Parcel No. 271, shown in the cadastre section AB: inscription by order of 12 April 2022

Key figures

Charles Gervaise - Suspected Sponsor Have the house built around 1730.
Jacques-François Blondel - Architect assigned Probable mastery of the castle.
Famille Le Marinier - Owner since 1912 Modernizes the estate in the 20th century.

Origin and history

The Château de Villons-les-Buissons, located in the plain of Caen, is a marina built in the 2nd quarter of the 18th century, surrounded by agricultural plots and closed walls. The main building body, on three levels flanked by two Creully stone wings, is inspired by Regency architecture, with ordered facades and interior decorations (woodworks, carved chimneys). The commons (grange, stables, press) and a bassyard complete the whole, although the pigeon tree has disappeared. The estate, owned by the Le Marinier family since 1912, has undergone major changes after the destruction of the Second World War.

The construction of the main house was attributed to Charles Gervaise in the 1730s, with a master's degree probably entrusted to Jacques-François Blondel, architect of the Château de Vendeuvre. In the 20th century, modernization (electricity, heating) and decoration (lambing, paintings) transformed the castle, partially destroyed during the occupation (1939-1944). Requisitioned as headquarters by the Highland Light Infantry of Canada at the Liberation, it was rebuilt thanks to war damage (west commons, roofs, windows).

The protected elements include the house body, the facades of the lower wings, and the library fireplace, which were inscribed in the Historical Monuments in 2022. The estate illustrates the evolution of a Norman farm, blending 18th century heritage and contemporary adaptations. The soils (Caen stone, mosaics) and the ironworks bear witness to this historical duality.

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