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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Manor House of the Bishops of Lisieux, located in Canapville, Calvados, has its origins in the thirteenth century. Although its name evokes an episcopal residence, its history is more complex: it would have belonged to the bishops-counts of Lisieux until the 14th century, but research suggests possible confusion with a homonymous domain in Orne. The first written mention dates from 1448, when it was sold to Guillaume de Berteville for 260 books tournaments. The manor house, then a candid vassorry, then passed into the hands of the family of Fossey in 1450, which preserved it and expanded for two centuries, notably by adding parts of wood.

In the 15th century, the manor house was built around an octagonal stone staircase, a 13th century vestige, flanked by two half-timbered buildings. The one on the right houses a cider press and an attic, while the one on the left, decorated with a carved bishop's head, serves as a seigneurial house. The family of Fossey, through inheritances and marriages, transmits the estate to Mathan, then to the Costart in the 18th century. The latter, as well as the families of Tesson and Le Courtois du Manoir, become their successive owners. The manor house, used as a farm until the 1950s, has been fully protected since 2004 with its houses, presses, commons and fence walls.

The architecture of the mansion reflects its evolution: the stone tower, the pink and white checkered facades, and the corbelled skylights bear witness to the additions of the 15th and 16th centuries. The site also includes 18th-century stables, transformed into exhibition space for objects from the Far East. Despite uncertainties about its episcopal origins, the mansion remains a remarkable example of Norman seigneurial habitat, mixing agricultural and residential functions. Its classification as a historic monument in 2004 consecrated its heritage value, after a partial protection in 1949, finally cancelled.

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