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Castle estate dans l'Orne

Orne

Castle estate

    23 Le Château
    61550 La Ferté-en-Ouche
Domaine du château
Domaine du château
Domaine du château
Domaine du château
Domaine du château
Domaine du château
Domaine du château
Crédit photo : Magic Foundry - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Moyen Âge central
Bas Moyen Âge
Renaissance
Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1100
1200
1700
1800
1900
2000
XIe siècle
Foundation of the first castle
1766
Construction of the dovecote
1863–1867
Construction of the current castle
13 septembre 1996
Registration for Historic Monuments
2018
Acquisition by current owners
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

Castle, with all its interior decorations; facades and roofs of the former mansion; Dove; wash; park with its constituent elements: moat, bridges, pond, avenues, wood, beds, walls and balustrades (cad. AD 19-24, 26-28, 30-50, 156-161, 168, 169): entry by order of 13 September 1996

Key figures

Guillaume le Conquérant - Duke of Normandy Founded the first castle in the 11th century.
Armand Alexis Odet de Montault - Sponsor Marquis Fit to build the opera house in 1863.
Maurice Sidoine Storez - Parisian architect Designed the Napoleon III style castle.
Alphonse Ouri - Decorative painter Decorate the large hall (student of Delacroix).
Henri et Achille Duchêne - Landscapers Renovate the park in 1920.

Origin and history

The Château de La Ferté-Frênel, located in the present commune of La Ferté-en-Ouche (Orne, Normandy), is a 3rd quarter of the 19th century residence built between 1863 and 1867 by the architect Maurice Sidoine Storez for the Marquis Armand Alexis Odet de Montault. It replaces three earlier buildings: two medieval castles (one founded by William the Conqueror in the 11th century, the other renovated in the 15th century) and a castle of the last third of the 18th century, of which the dovecote of 1766 remains. This "Château des Rêves", also known as Château-Opéra, illustrates the Napoleon III style with fabulous interior decorations, including 17th-century woodwork, 18th-century Veraillais parquet floors, and paintings by Alphonse Ouri (student of Delacroix) and Godon.

The park, originally in French (18th century), was transformed into a landscaped park in the 19th century, then redeveloped into a French-style park of 20 hectares around 1920 by landscapers Henri and Achille Duchêne for banker Vincent, owner from 1918 to 1939. It includes remarkable elements such as a green theatre, a salon of roses, moats, a lake of the Marquise, and water serpentines. The estate, which extends over 100 hectares with 4,500 trees of 90 species, was partially listed in the Historical Monuments on 13 September 1996, covering the castle, its decorations, the dovecote, the washhouse, and the entire park.

The castle has known several owners, including a rich Russian before its acquisition in 2018 by a family from a wine estate, company manager. Its history reflects the architectural and landscape developments of the 19th and 20th centuries, mixing feudal heritage, Napoleonic eclecticism, and modern reinterpretations. The protected elements also include the facades of the old mansion, the bridges, and the beds, testifying to its rich heritage.

External links