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Origin and history

The Château du Quesney, located in Vatteville-la-Rue on the banks of the Seine, finds its origins in the 11th century under the impulse of Robert de Beaumont († 1118), a companion of William the Conqueror. The latter reportedly gave him the fief of Vatteville and the forest of Brotonne, where a first wooden dungeon was probably erected on a mound. The site, strategic, monitored a small river port and controlled a major axis between Rouen and Paris.

In 1123, the castle became the scene of a rebellion when Galeran de Beaumont-Meulan (1104-1166), heir to the fief, took refuge there to plot against Henri I Beauclerc, Duke of Normandy and King of England. Assieged and captured in 1124, his castle was destroyed. Released five years later, Galeran rebuilt the fortress between 1128 and 1154: a polygonal stone dungeon (shell-keep) replaces the wood structure, accompanied by a seigneurial house and a chapel dedicated to the Virgin, mentioned in a charter before 1154. These developments reflect the evolution of Norman castles into hard-walled residences.

In the 12th century, the estate remained in the hands of Beaumont-Meulan until Jean without Earth seized it around 1195, partially rebuilding the buildings. The conquest of Normandy by Philippe Auguste (1204) marked a turning point: Vatteville was confiscated in favour of the French crown. The castle, now managed by royal governors (such as Erchembauld in 1232 or Réginald Dequestot under Charles V), sees its defences maintained despite the progressive obsolescence of medieval fortresses. Archives attest to repairs to the drawbridge in 1381 and regular inspections, such as that of Guillaume Anxeau, bailli of Rouen, in 1370.

The archaeological excavations carried out between 1994 and 1998 by Anne-Marie Flambard Héricher revealed the organization of the site: a motte girdled with ditches, a lower courtyard housing houses, chapel, forge and saddlery, as well as artifacts (ceramics, metal objects). The chapel, active until the 16th century, served as a gathering place for the inhabitants, as evidenced by a 1564 text describing it as "well-stocked". The remains — mound, low-yard and ditches — have been listed as historical monuments since 1996.

The geographical position of the castle, downstream of Rouen and on a major river axis, explains its continuing role despite the decline of its military function. In the 14th century, although conflicts such as the Hundred Years' War made fortresses vulnerable, Vatteville retained logistical importance, as evidenced by royal orders for its maintenance. Its gradual abandonment is part of the evolution of the defensive systems, but its history reflects the political and territorial stakes of medieval Normandy, between ducal, royal and seigneurial power.

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