Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Manor House of Saint-Hippolyte, also known as the Manor House of Pont-Mauvoisin, is an emblematic construction of the transition between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, built in the late 15th century or early 16th century. Located in the Pays d'Auge, on the left bank of the Touques in Saint-Martin-de-la-Lieue (Calvados), it illustrates Norman civil architecture of this period, mixing stone, brick and half-timbered. Its access via the road Saint-Hippolyte and its visibility from the departmental road 579 make it a local landmark between Lisieux and the village village.

The history of the mansion is marked by its membership in Norman noble families. In 1534, Geneviève Pillois de Montigny, first certified owner, brought him in dowry to the family of Tournebu by his marriage to Jacques de Tournebu, seigneur of Livet-le-Beaudouin. The estate remained in this line until the early 19th century, before passing into the hands of Foucault's family after the extinction of the Tournebu-Livet. These transmissions reflect the marriage alliances and legacy typical of the provincial aristocracy.

The house body, rectangular, combines a stone ground floor and an alternating floor of limestone and Saint John bricks, characteristic of local materials. The front façade is distinguished by its Renaissance moulded windows and a door topped by a cladding lintel, while the rear has a square staircase tower, slightly moved northward to align with the axis of the entrance. Two square turrets and a four-slope roof, pierced by wood-paned skylights adorned with salamander-blasmed half-timbers, complete the whole.

The interior preserves remarkable elements such as two monumental fireplaces (kitchen and room) and glazed paving stones of the Pre-d'Auge, testimonies of the residential comfort of the era. The estate also includes wood-pan outbuildings, including an octagonal dovecote dating back to the 15th or 16th century, as well as an outstanding beech tree. These elements highlight the role of the manor house in both agricultural, residential and symbolic terms in the Austrian landscape.

Partly listed as historical monuments since October 29, 1971, the Manor House of Saint-Hippolyte today embodies a preserved architectural heritage, representative of the Norman Renaissance. Its protection concerns facades and roofs, while its state of preservation allows us to appreciate the constructive techniques and stylistic influences of this period, which is the hinge between medieval and modern.

External links