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Origin and history

Domfront Castle was founded around 1010-1020 by Guillaume I of Bellême, who erected a first wooden fortification on a ridge overlooking the Varenne valley. This strategic site, on the southern border of the Duchy of Normandy, quickly attracts a population thanks to privileges granted, giving birth to the city of Domfront. The castle, object of lusts, was successively besieged by Duke Robert I of Normandy, and seized in 1049 by William the Conqueror after a fifteen-month siege, marking his key role in the defence of the duchy against the Angiovins.

In the 12th century, the castle became a major ducal residence under Henri Beauclerc, which built a quadrangular Romanesque dungeon typical of his reign. The fortress, reinforced by corner turrets and foothills, resists many seats, including those linked to the wars of succession between the sons of William the Conqueror. In 1162, Alienor d'Aquitaine gave birth to his daughter, and Henry II Plantagenet made him a place of power, holding his court there and writing his will there in 1166. The place, contested between English and French, was finally taken by Philippe Auguste in 1204 during the annexation of Normandy.

From the 13th to the 15th century, the castle changed hands several times, suffering repeated seats during the Hundred Years War. In 1418 he fell into the hands of the English after eight months of resistance, before being taken over in 1450 by Charles VII's troops, becoming the penultimate English stronghold in Normandy. The religious conflicts of the 16th century marked its decline: in 1574, Protestant captain Montgomery seized it briefly before being executed. Henri IV ordered its dismantling in 1598, followed by Sully in 1610, leaving only ruins classified as historical monuments in 1875.

The current remains include two sections of the 28-metre-high Romanesque dungeon, as well as portions of the enclosure flanked by 13th-century towers and casemates. The Saint-Symphorian Prioral Chapel, ruined in 1610, and the remains of the medieval house recall its past as a ducal citadel. The site, free of access, has been managed since 1984 by an association dedicated to its restoration, preserving the memory of its thirteen seats and its geostrategic role between Normandy, Anjou and Maine.

The castle illustrates the evolution of medieval military techniques, moving from a castral wooden motte to a stone fortress, then to a complex defensive complex incorporating casemates and ditches carved in the rock. Its history reflects the struggles between Plantagenets and Capetians, as well as the tensions between central power and local feudality. Recent excavations and restorations have helped to highlight its underground structures and ramparts, providing a tangible testimony to the conflicts that have shaped Normandy.

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