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Origin and history

Corday Manor House, also known as Cauvigny Manor House, is an iconic late Middle Ages building built around 1585 on the town of Renouard in Orne. Characteristic of the country of Auge, it combines a half-timbered structure on a base of sandstone and limestone, with facades decorated with complex geometric motifs. Its two main western and eastern facades feature vertical and oblique half-timbers, while the skylights and monumental chimneys add to its historic charm.

The mansion was owned by Jacques Adrien de Corday de Cauvigny in the 18th century, grandfather of Charlotte Corday, famous for his role in the French Revolution. He then changed the interior, replacing the central staircase with a dining room. The commons, dating from the 18th century, include a press, a cart, and a dairy, organized around a courtyard. Upstairs, a gallery serves the rooms, one of which preserves decorations painted with flowers and foliage.

Partially listed as historical monuments, the mansion has been listed since 1948 for its castle and since 1997 for its communes. Its history was also marked by renovations in the seventeenth century, including decorations painted around 1629, and consolidations of its structure into wooden panels. The site, linked to the Corday family since 1629 by marriage, retains a strong heritage and memorial value.

Interior distribution and woodwork dates from the mid-18th century, while wallpapers were added around 1810. The manor house, surrounded by communes in hurdles and woods, bears witness to the architectural and social evolution of Normandy over the centuries. Its connection to Charlotte Corday, born on a nearby farm, makes it a place full of revolutionary history.

Architecturally, the manor is distinguished by its asymmetrical facades, its windows alternating wide and narrow, and its roofs surmounted by skylights. The southern part, higher than the northern part due to the slope, rests on a reinforced sandstone and limestone base. These details, combined with its family and revolutionary history, make it a remarkable Norman heritage.

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