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Origin and history

The Manor House of Commeaux, located in the department of Orne to the east of the town of Commeaux, was built in the 2nd quarter of the 16th century. It originally belonged to the Louvet family in the 15th century, before moving to Fresnel in the early 16th century. Nicolas Fresnel, master administrator of the Maison-Dieu d'Argentan, owned it until his death in 1518. His descendants, including Jean Fresnel, parish priest of Neauphe and lord of Commeaux, bequeathed the domain to the Droulin in 1562.

In the 17th century, the mansion changed hands several times: Philippe Droulin inherited it before Claude de Vigneral, squire, acquired it in 1657. Vigneral's family kept the estate until the Revolution. In 1789 Jeanne-Françoise de Guerpel, widow of François de Vigneral, lived there with his son Pierre-François, who emigrated in 1792. The mansion, confiscated as emigrated property, was returned to the heirs in 1802, but the castle became a stable after the death of Mme de Vigneral in 1819.

Purchased in 1861 by Count Gustave de Vigneral, the manor house was partially restored after the damage suffered during the Second World War. Ranked a historic monument on December 5, 1963, it is now a private property. Its architecture, typical of Norman manors, includes a building body flanked by two turrets and a square wing, with interior elements such as well preserved chimneys and vaults.

The manor is distinguished by its stone staircase in a cut-paned tower and a chapel in a turret. The descriptions of 1909 highlight the quality of the chimneys and vaults of the turrets, despite an unfinished second floor. The estate, once large (90 hectares), was divided after the Revolution, retaining only the castle and its immediate surroundings.

The archives mention confessions given to the Duke of Alençon in the 15th century, then to the king for the fief de Commeaux, illustrating his seigneurial importance. The succession of families (Luvet, Fresnel, Droulin, Vigneral) reflects the alliances and transmissions typical of the Norman aristocracy between the 15th and 19th centuries.

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