Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The manor house of the Crasvillerie is a former fortified house of the 15th to 16th centuries, located in Réville, in the Manche department, in Normandy. Built in granite and Gothic style, it features a square plan with two distinct towers: a hexagonal road side, serving as a watchtower to monitor the sea, and a polygonal in the inner corner. The houses, which come from two construction campaigns, are illuminated by door windows. This monument, registered as a historical monument in 2019, bears witness to a defensive architecture adapted to its coastal environment.

The history of the mansion could be linked to the privateer François Le Clerc, nicknamed Jambe de Bois († 1563), anoblied in 1551 for his services under Henry II and François I. In 1555 he received Admiral de Coligny, Martin du Bellay and Gilles de Gouberville during a coastal inspection. The estate then passed to Pierrepont's family through the marriage of his daughter, Catherine Le Clerc, with Jean de Pierrepont in 1586. In 1591, the mansion was set on fire by François de La Cour du Tourps in retaliation for local conflicts, marking a violent episode of his history.

In the 20th century, the mansion will house an artificial insemination center founded by François Noël (1870–1937), grandson of breeder Bon Jacques François Noël, known for improving the Norman bovine breed. This change in usage illustrates the adaptation of historic buildings to modern agricultural needs. Today, the house and its chimneys, as well as the floor plates, have been protected since the decree of 7 October 2019, thus preserving a military, seigneurial and rural heritage.

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