Château d'Orcher
Encyclopedia
The Château d'Orcher is a castle
in the commune
of Gonfreville-l'Orcher
in the Seine-Maritime
département of France.
Built to protect the mouth of the River Seine
, it includes an imposing square crenellated tower. In the 18th century it was transformed into a residence.
was created by the Duke of Normandy
for a family who got the name Aurichier from a place down in the Seine
Valley and built the castle with a chapel (Sainte-Honorine) on top of a cliff overlooking the Seine
. The square keep
was surrounded by a trapezoidal enceinte
, defended in the 13th century by three square towers. In 1360 it was partly destroyed on the orders of officials from Harfleur
. Rebuilt later, it was taken by the English in 1415 at the same time as Harfleur.
The Crespin family was dispossessed by Henry V
. Some French sources state that Henry gave the castle to John Falstaff, the fictional Shakespearean character, but this is almost certainly meant to be Sir John Fastolf
. In 1434, the castle and its associated possessions and privileges were given to the Duke of Bedford
. In 1449, the esates reverted to the Crespins and later, by legacy, went to the Brézé family in 1488 and finally to the O family in 1539. In 1604, the Orcher land was decreed to be the property of Georges Laillet seigneur
of Auricher, and consisted of castle, fortress and house covered with slate. In 1632 the estates became the property of the Potier family.
Thomas Planterose took possession in 1735 and over the next ten years set about transforming the castle. He employed master masons
François de la Motte and Jacques Lesueur, both from Picardy
, and a master plasterer
from Caudebec-en-Caux
, Courtel]. The elegant woodwork was created by a carpenter from Le Havre
, Le Roux. The two north towers and the ruins of the great keep in the north-west were demolished, along with the curtain walls
.
In 1795, following the division of the estate with the death of Madame de Melmont, the property was described as a "dwelling house castle and accessories and a farm of 145 acres". In the 19th century, the estate became the property of the Rochechouart family, who had the castle, notably the tower, restored in 1857 by the architect P. Philippon.
The castle grounds are open to the public all year. The Château d'Orcher is listed as a monument historique
by the French Ministry of Culture.
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
in the commune
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
of Gonfreville-l'Orcher
Gonfreville-l'Orcher
Gonfreville-l’Orcher is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:An industrial town based around an ancient village situated in the Pays de Caux, some east of Le Havre, in between the D982 and D9015 roads...
in the Seine-Maritime
Seine-Maritime
Seine-Maritime is a French department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France. It is situated on the northern coast of France, at the mouth of the Seine, and includes the cities of Rouen and Le Havre...
département of France.
Built to protect the mouth of the River Seine
Seine
The Seine is a -long river and an important commercial waterway within the Paris Basin in the north of France. It rises at Saint-Seine near Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre . It is navigable by ocean-going vessels...
, it includes an imposing square crenellated tower. In the 18th century it was transformed into a residence.
History
The Auricher fiefdomFiefdom
A fee was the central element of feudalism and consisted of heritable lands granted under one of several varieties of feudal tenure by an overlord to a vassal who held it in fealty in return for a form of feudal allegiance and service, usually given by the...
was created by the Duke of Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
for a family who got the name Aurichier from a place down in the Seine
Seine
The Seine is a -long river and an important commercial waterway within the Paris Basin in the north of France. It rises at Saint-Seine near Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre . It is navigable by ocean-going vessels...
Valley and built the castle with a chapel (Sainte-Honorine) on top of a cliff overlooking the Seine
Seine
The Seine is a -long river and an important commercial waterway within the Paris Basin in the north of France. It rises at Saint-Seine near Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre . It is navigable by ocean-going vessels...
. The square keep
Keep
A keep is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word keep, but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residences, used as a refuge of last resort should the rest of the...
was surrounded by a trapezoidal enceinte
Enceinte
Enceinte , is a French term used technically in fortification for the inner ring of fortifications surrounding a town or a concentric castle....
, defended in the 13th century by three square towers. In 1360 it was partly destroyed on the orders of officials from Harfleur
Harfleur
-Population:-Places of interest:* The church of St-Martin, dating from the fourteenth century.* The seventeenth century Hôtel de Ville .* Medieval ramparts * The fifteenth century museums of fishing and of archaeology and history....
. Rebuilt later, it was taken by the English in 1415 at the same time as Harfleur.
The Crespin family was dispossessed by Henry V
Henry V of England
Henry V was King of England from 1413 until his death at the age of 35 in 1422. He was the second monarch belonging to the House of Lancaster....
. Some French sources state that Henry gave the castle to John Falstaff, the fictional Shakespearean character, but this is almost certainly meant to be Sir John Fastolf
John Fastolf
Sir John Fastolf KG was an English knight during the Hundred Years War, who has enjoyed a more lasting reputation as in some part being the prototype of Shakespeare's Sir John Falstaff...
. In 1434, the castle and its associated possessions and privileges were given to the Duke of Bedford
John of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Bedford
John of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Bedford, KG , also known as John Plantagenet, was the third surviving son of King Henry IV of England by Mary de Bohun, and acted as Regent of France for his nephew, King Henry VI....
. In 1449, the esates reverted to the Crespins and later, by legacy, went to the Brézé family in 1488 and finally to the O family in 1539. In 1604, the Orcher land was decreed to be the property of Georges Laillet seigneur
Lord
Lord is a title with various meanings. It can denote a prince or a feudal superior . The title today is mostly used in connection with the peerage of the United Kingdom or its predecessor countries, although some users of the title do not themselves hold peerages, and use it 'by courtesy'...
of Auricher, and consisted of castle, fortress and house covered with slate. In 1632 the estates became the property of the Potier family.
Thomas Planterose took possession in 1735 and over the next ten years set about transforming the castle. He employed master masons
Masonry
Masonry is the building of structures from individual units laid in and bound together by mortar; the term masonry can also refer to the units themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are brick, stone, marble, granite, travertine, limestone; concrete block, glass block, stucco, and...
François de la Motte and Jacques Lesueur, both from Picardy
Picardy
This article is about the historical French province. For other uses, see Picardy .Picardy is a historical province of France, in the north of France...
, and a master plasterer
Plasterer
A plasterer is a tradesman who works with plaster, such as forming a layer of plaster on an interior wall or plaster decorative moldings on ceilings or walls...
from Caudebec-en-Caux
Caudebec-en-Caux
Caudebec-en-Caux is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:Caudebec-en-Caux is located W.N.W. of Rouen, on the right bank of the River Seine. The tidal bore in the estuary of the Seine which is known as the mascaret in French, but...
, Courtel]. The elegant woodwork was created by a carpenter from Le Havre
Le Havre
Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...
, Le Roux. The two north towers and the ruins of the great keep in the north-west were demolished, along with the curtain walls
Curtain wall (fortification)
A curtain wall is a defensive wall between two bastions of a castle or fortress.In earlier designs of castle the curtain walls were often built to a considerable height and were fronted by a ditch or moat to make assault difficult....
.
In 1795, following the division of the estate with the death of Madame de Melmont, the property was described as a "dwelling house castle and accessories and a farm of 145 acres". In the 19th century, the estate became the property of the Rochechouart family, who had the castle, notably the tower, restored in 1857 by the architect P. Philippon.
The castle grounds are open to the public all year. The Château d'Orcher is listed as a monument historique
Monument historique
A monument historique is a National Heritage Site of France. It also refers to a state procedure in France by which national heritage protection is extended to a building or a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings, or gardens, bridges, and other structures, because of their...
by the French Ministry of Culture.
See also
- List of castles in France
- Gonfreville-l'Orcher Commune of Gonfreville-l'Orcher in French Wikipedia
External links
Source
- www.culture.gouv.fr, accessed 19 March 2007