Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Quiquengrogne Manor House, also known as the Quiquengronne Manor House, is an emblematic building in the port town of Honfleur, Calvados. Dated from the second half of the 16th and 17th centuries, it illustrates the civil architecture of the late Renaissance and the Great Century in Normandy. Its evocative name, of uncertain origin, and its location in the heart of the rue de la Bavolle make it a material testimony of the maritime and colonial history of the region.

In modern times, the mansion played a key role in French expansion in the West Indies: it served as a place of recruitment for settlers leaving for St. Christophe Island (now St. Christophe and Niévès). In the 17th century, it belonged to Jean de Boisseret, the owner of part of Guadeloupe, emphasizing its link with the economic and colonial networks of the time. This past explains its historical importance, although its precise functions beyond recruitment remain poorly documented.

The building was partially protected as historical monuments on 16 April 1975, with an inscription covering its facades and roofs. These architectural elements, including a carved head on the floor, reflect the decorative styles of the 16th-17th centuries. Transformed into apartments in 2014, the mansion lost its original vocation, but retains a strong heritage value, reinforced by its preserved urban environment in the historic centre of Honfleur.

Available sources, including Wikipedia and Monumentum, mention inaccuracies on its exact location (numbers 28–32 or 24 rue de la Bavolle), revealing the challenges posed by documentation of old buildings. Despite these uncertainties, the mansion remains an identity marker of Honfleur, associated with both the French colonial adventure and the evolution of the Norman building.

External links