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Origin and history

The tower of Bonvouloir is the last vestige in elevation of the former castle of Bonvouloir, built at the end of the 15th century in the territory of Juvigny-sous-Andaine, in Orne. This castle, now almost entirely disappeared, originally belonged to Guyon Essirard (or Eschirat), adviser to the Duke of Alençon René, who donated it in 1485. The tower, flanked by a high 26.50 metre cylindrical turret, served as a watch post and access to the upper floors via a stone staircase.

In the 16th century, the fief passed to the Achard de Bonvouloir family, which counted several governors of Domfront. The castle was transformed into a farmhouse in the 17th century, and one of its towers became a dovecote in the 18th century. The French Revolution caused its partial destruction, with stones being reused for the surrounding agricultural buildings. Today, the main tower remains, a dovecote, remains of ramparts, a well of 33 meters and a converted chapel.

The remains of the castle, including the tower called The Lighthouse, the dovecote, the well and the facades of the old chapel, were classified as historical monuments by order of 4 July 1995. The site, freely accessible from outside, offers a rare testimony of the defensive and seigneurial architecture of the late Middle Ages in Normandy. The ditches, gardens and related buildings complete this preserved historical complex.

The tower is distinguished by its mâchicoulis on crows and its bell roof, characteristic of the fortifications of the era. Its stone staircase makes it possible to reach its summit, where the view embraces the forest of Andaine and the surrounding area. Nearby, the pond and the orchard recall the medieval organisation of seigneurial estates, combining defense, habitat and agricultural exploitation.

Local sources, such as the works of J. Hamon (1956) or Charles-Florentin Loriot (1886), document the history of the fief and his lords. The tower, often called The Lighthouse because of its height, symbolizes the seigneurial power and the adaptation of castles to agricultural uses after their military decline.

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