Pays d'Art et d'Histoire du Clos du Cotentin
Bricquebec-en-Cotentin
The Château de Bricquebec was built between the 11th and 15th centuries and has a high polygonal-shape keep and huge aristocratic dining hall from Roman times. This castle overlooks one of the most authentic rural villages in the area.
Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte
In Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte, Geoffroy d’Harcourt’s medieval fortress is the most iconic monument of the Hundred Years’ War and of the presence of the English in Normandy. The nearby Abbaye de Sainte-Marie-Madeleine Postel still has some significant sections of the Romanesque nave and flamboyant chancel.
Valognes
Valognes or “Normandy’s Little Versailles” was once the aristocratic capital of the Clos du Cotentin. This town is characterised by its elegant 18th century private manors. The most striking example is the famous Hôtel de Beaumont, with its rich decorations on the façade of ornamental rockeries, the interior furnished in the style of Louis XV, and the vast French-style gardens. It is also possible to explore the heritage sites of Valognes on a horse-drawn carriage with a ”Pays d’Art et d’Histoire” guide. The ancient Abbaye Bénédictine Royale (the current hospital) and the Abbaye Notre-Dame de Protection both portray the rise in popularity of religious living in the 17th century, but Valognes is also well-known for its famous names in politics and literature, such as Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-1859), author of “Democracy in America”, and Jules Barbey d’Aurevilly, born in 1808 in Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte, who wrote some of the most shocking pages of his short stories here, entitled “Les Diaboliques” (She-Devils).
No set list.
