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Origin and history

The castle in Rémalard is a vestige of the 11th century, the last witness to a medieval fortified site. It is situated in the former commune of Rémalard, now integrated in Rémalard en Perche, in the department of Orne. This site, owned by the Counts of Mortain, was a strategic place overlooking the Huisne Valley. His history was marked by a siege in 1077, when William the Conqueror besieged the fortress to capture his son Robert Courteheuse, a refugee with the lord of Thimerais.

The moth, circular in shape, served as the basis for a shell-keep, a wooden or stone tower protecting the site. To surround the fortress, William the Conqueror had four temporary fortifications erected. This site also illustrates a typical example of a castral village: urbanization developed from the lower courtyard along a path to the neighbouring priory. The motte and its ditches were listed as historical monuments on 17 November 1994.

Beyond its military role, Rémalard's castral mott reflects the feudal organization of 11th century Normandy. The Counts of Mortain, vassals of the Dukes of Normandy, exercised their authority there, while the fortress controlled exchanges in the Huisne Valley. The siege of 1077 underlined the dynastic tensions of the time, opposing William the Conqueror to his rebel son, Robert Courteheuse, supported by local lords such as that of Thimerais. This family conflict is part of the power struggles characteristic of the post-Norman period of England.

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