Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Canon Castle, located in the former commune of Mézidon-Canon (now Mezidon Valley of Auge, Calvados), finds its medieval origins with the seigneurie of Canon Eudes. In the 17th century, Jean Le Sueur erected the Château Bérenger, later transformed into a factory by Élie de Beaumont, which added a neo-classical peristyle. The property then passed into the hands of Protestant families like the Berenger, forced into exile after the revocation of the edict of Nantes in 1685. In 1727, Pierre de La Roque, receiver of the sizes, acquired the estate at low prices and began major developments: construction of a new house, digging a piece of water, and planting of avenues.

In 1760 Jean-Baptiste-Jacques Élie de Beaumont, a Parisian lawyer, married Anne-Louise Morin du Mesnil, heir to the spoliated estate in 1727. With the support of Voltaire, the couple won a lawsuit in 1768 to recover Canon, but the colossal work undertaken ruined their fortune, leading to the sale of the furniture in 1786. The castle, spared by the Revolution thanks to the local popularity of the Beaumonts, traverses the centuries almost intact, despite the German occupation during the Second World War (hospital and barracks in 1944), which partially damage the dependencies. The post-war restorations, financed by the War Damages, give the field its burst.

The park, in an English-French style, is distinguished by its thirteen cartreuses (closed gardens housing hundreds of floral varieties), classified as remarkable gardens. These spaces, awarded several times (notably by the Old French Houses in 1985 and the Fondation des Parcs et Jardins in 1987), survived the storm of 1999 with targeted aid. The castle, classified as a historical monument in 1941, also includes remarkable elements such as the Chinese kiosk (acquired in 1781 by architect Nicolas Lenoir), the Temple of the Cryeruse, and the remains of the castle Bérenger. Since 1982, the estate, still owned by the descendants of Beaumont (Delom de Mézerac family), welcomes visitors to discover its interior, its gardens, and its turbulent history.

The architecture of the castle is inspired by the Italian model, while its park, crossed by the river Laizon, illustrates the influence of the Lights on the art of gardens. The entrance gate and the Chinese kiosk, native to the Château des Ternes in Paris, testify to the eclectic tastes of Jean-Baptiste Élie de Beaumont. His grandson, Léonce Élie de Beaumont, a renowned geologist, contributed to the estate's posterity, associated with figures like Voltaire. Despite historical hazards (wars, requisitions), Canon Castle remains a preserved example of Norman heritage, combining family history, landscape art, and architectural resilience.

Future

The gardens of the castle are classified as remarkable gardens, thanks in particular to the thirteen walled gardens, called cartreuses, which serve as a setting for hundreds of varieties of flowers and are open to visit.

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