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Origin and history

The castle of Bricquebec, raised on a feudal motte from the 10th or 11th century, was entirely rebuilt in the 14th century and modified in the 16th century. It was the heart of the Barony of Bricquebec, one of the major strongholds of the Dukes of Normandy. Its 11-sided polygonal dungeon, unique in Europe, and its enclosure flanked by round and hexagonal towers make it a remarkable example of medieval military architecture. The fortress controlled a strategic crossroads between the marshes and the communication routes, overlooking a ford on the Brikbekk River, a name given by the Vikings living in the area.

The creation of the first wooden castle, around 942, was attributed to Anslec de Bricquebec, the grand-neveeu de Rollon, who received the baronie from Guillaume Longue-Épée after Rioulf's defeat. The seigneury then passed into the hands of the Bertran family, which kept it until the 14th century. Robert I Bertran, first lord attested around 1060, donated to Saint-Ouen Abbey in Rouen and occasionally bore the title of Viscount. In the 12th century, Robert IV Bertran owed the service of five knights for his Barony, which extended over several parishes in the Cotentin.

In the 14th century, Robert VIII Bertran considerably strengthened the castle, building the present dungeon and enclosure with its towers. The castle then passed by marriage to the Paisnel family, then to the d'Estouteville, which added the Clock Tower in the 16th century. During the Hundred Years' War, the castle was occupied by the English and taken over by Charles V's troops. In 1418 Henry V of England offered to the Count of Suffolk, before he was returned in 1450 to Louis II of Estouteville. Abandoned as a residence for the Galleries Castle, he fell into disrepitude and was looted during the Revolution.

The castle consists of a well-preserved enclosure, flanked by various towers, and a deconstructed dungeon on eleven sides. The Knights' Hall, ancient to the 13th century Romanesque, was a palatial space competing with the Ducal castles. The canonial chapel, dedicated to the Virgin, disappeared after the Revolution, but some Romanesque modillons remained. The remains, classified as historical monuments as early as 1840, also include the Tower of the Epine, with its dungeons, and the Chartrier, where the seigneurial archives were kept.

In the 10th century, the site was a flattened rocky spur to accommodate a wooden house surrounded by a palisade, with a lower courtyard reserved for the lord and a large enclosure serving as a refuge for local people. The castle protected a crossroads of communication routes, essential for controlling north-south and east-west movements in the region. The Barony of Bricquebec extended over several parishes, some of which were annexed over the centuries, such as Orglandes and Blosville.

Today, the exteriors of the castle are in free access, and guided tours are organized by the Country of Art and History of the Clos du Cotentin. The Old Castle Museum, housed in the Clock Tower, houses collections of history and mineralogy. The remains, though partly in ruins, offer an exceptional witness to the evolution of the Castral architecture in Normandy, from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance.

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