Initial construction assigned 1734 (≈ 1734)
By Louis de La Porte (controversial source)
1742
Execution of Louis de La Porte
Execution of Louis de La Porte 1742 (≈ 1742)
Burned for witchcraft, discovered in 1997
vers 1820
Dating wallpaper
Dating wallpaper vers 1820 (≈ 1820)
Filed Chamber, Reasons Joseph Dufour
4e quart XVIIIe siècle
Period of main construction
Period of main construction 4e quart XVIIIe siècle (≈ 1887)
Current Logis and Panel Structure
10 janvier 2012
Historic Monument Protection
Historic Monument Protection 10 janvier 2012 (≈ 2012)
Classification (chamber) and registration (logis)
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The room on the first floor decorated with a wallpaper (Box ZA 50): classification by decree of 10 January 2012 - The manor house in its entirety, with the exception of the classified room (Box ZA 50): registration by order of 10 January 2012
Key figures
Louis de La Porte - Owner and alleged manufacturer
Sentenced for witchcraft in 1742
Origin and history
The Porte Manor is a building located in Authieux-sur-Calonne, in the Calvados department in Normandy. Dated from the last quarter of the 18th century and the first quarter of the 19th century, it is distinguished by its rectangular house on one floor, covered with a four-sided roof. The construction, without corbellation, presents a fern drawing on its wood sections, typical of the Norman rural architecture of this period. Inside, a central corridor serves a kitchen and a living room on the ground floor, while on the first floor, several bedrooms are furnished, including one entirely covered with wallpaper dated around 1820, inspired by a model of the Joseph Dufour manufacture (Paris, 1808).
According to the sources, the estate had taken the name of its owner since 1650, although the parts visible today mainly date back to the 18th and 19th centuries. The mansion has been partially classified and listed as a Historic Monument since 10 January 2012: the wallpaper room is classified, while the rest of the house is registered. This status protects a remarkable architectural and decorative heritage, including the motifs of the wallpaper, whose borders suggest a realization after the original models.
The mansion was also linked to a controversial figure, Louis de La Porte, who would have built a first version of the building in 1734. Accused of witchcraft, he was sentenced to the stake in 1742, and his burial, a mass grave, was rediscovered in the local cemetery in 1997. Although this anecdote adds a tragic historical dimension to the site, today's architectural elements date mostly from later periods (late 18th - early 19th century).
Today, the Porte Manor house houses cottages and hosts private events, while remaining a testament to Normandy's affluent rural habitat. Its state of conservation, coupled with its heritage protection, makes it a representative example of Norman manors of the transition between the Ancient Regime and the modern era, marked by both local influences (woodpan) and Parisian influences (painted papers).
