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Origin and history

The Vaujours mansion is a building dating from the late 15th century, profoundly transformed in the 16th century. It is distinguished by its architecture combining medieval elements, such as a circular tower and moats, with decorations inspired by the French Renaissance. The body of houses, rectangular in square, is flanked by a square enclosure reinforced by corner towers, one of which has now disappeared. This mix of styles reflects the architectural evolutions of the era, between defensive tradition and openness to new artistic influences.

Located 3 km north of the town of Rémalard en Perche, in the department of Orne, the manor house is located on the edge of the Pontillon Creek. Its isolated location, typical of the seigneurial houses of the region, highlights its role both residential and symbolic in the rural landscape of the Perche. The main facade, decorated with Renaissance motifs, contrasts with the austerity of adjacent agricultural buildings, such as the dovecote, also protected as historical monuments.

Vaujours Manor House was partially listed as historical monuments by order of 29 November 1948, a recognition that specifically concerns the main building and its dovecote. This protection highlights its heritage importance, both for its architecture and for its testimony of the lifestyles of the local elites in the 15th and 16th centuries. The historical sources, such as the works of Elizabeth Desvaux-Marteville on the Manoirs du Perche, underline its integration into a network of seigneurial residences characteristic of this border region between Normandy and the Loire country.

All buildings are organized around a square courtyard, closed by a wall of enclosure with two round towers. The first floor of the house, transformed into a barn, illustrates the functional adaptations suffered by the mansion over the centuries, reflecting the economic and social changes of the Percheronne countryside. Despite these modifications, the site retains remarkable architectural elements, such as the enchemized tower or moats, which make it a representative example of the fortified manors of the late Middle Ages.

The local archives, including Abbé Godet's memoirs on neighbouring parishes, indirectly evoke the role of these houses in the territorial and religious organization of the region. Although little specific details of the Vaujours mansion are mentioned, these documents place the monument in a broader historical context, marked by the influence of noble families and ecclesiastical institutions on the development of the Perch.

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