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Origin and history

The manor house of Vauville, located in the former municipality of the same name in Normandy, has its origins in the 12th century as a feudal fortress. Originally built by Richard de Vauville in 1163, it now retains only a dungeon similar to that of Beaurepaire, surrounded by moats filled with a garden. This strategic site, close to the coast, was probably bathed by the sea at the time of its construction, reflecting its defensive role in the Hague region, northwest of Cotentin.

The seigneury of Vauville, a full fief of haubert dependent on the baronie of Bricquebec, changed hands several times: from The Hague to Carbonnel, then to Le Sauvage. In 1663, Jeanne Le Sauvage, heir of the estate, married François-César de Costentin, older brother of the Marshal of Tourville. The latter rebuilt the current house in the seventeenth century, preserving the medieval dungeon while adding two lateral wings. The remains of the towers and defences, still visible at the beginning of the eighteenth century, gradually disappeared.

The mansion experienced tragic episodes, such as the assassination in 1713 by Jean-Baptiste César de Costentin, Count of Vauville, who took refuge there before obtaining his grace invoking a Rouennais privilege. In the 19th century, General Jean Le Marois, Napoleon's deputy and aide-de-camp, became the owner before his son, Polydore, demolished in 1837 the medieval gate and the commons, erasing historical traces such as that of Blessed Thomas Hélye.

Damaged during the Second World War, the mansion was restored by the Gayard family in 1890 and then by the Pellerin from 1948. The latter created a botanical garden, now labeled a remarkable garden and listed as historical monuments. The site, partially protected since 1972, has been continuously restored, including the roof retained by the 2025 Heritage Lotto.

Architecturally, the mansion illustrates the Côtentinaise Renaissance: two bodies of local stone houses, connected by the 12th century dungeon, with adorned pediment windows and monumental chimneys. The outer dovecote, dating from 1732, has more than a thousand bolts. The park, open to the public, hosts cultural events in the courtyard or dining room of the mansion.

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