Manoir de la Coquerie
ManorHidden Treasure
Manoir de la Coquerie, located in Querqueville (Manche), is a Renaissance château built in the 16th century. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- Manor
- Period
- Renaissance (16th century)
- Location
- Querqueville, Manche, Normandie
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00110551
Austere and secretive, the Manoir de la Coquerie in Querqueville displays the robust elegance of Cotentin granite: mullioned windows, a sculpted coat of arms and a private chapel make up a Renaissance ensemble of rare coherence.
History
Nestling in the Normandy bocage of the Cotentin peninsula, the Manoir de la Coquerie is one of those seigneurial silhouettes that you discover at the bend of a sunken path, between embankments and apple trees. Listed as a Historic Monument since 1973, it is a remarkably discreet embodiment of the art of building of the small rural gentry of Normandy at the turn of the 15th and 17th centuries. What immediately sets La Coquerie apart is its overall character: it is not an isolated dwelling, but a veritable enclosed courtyard combining the living quarters, north and south outbuildings, private chapel and entrance porch. This layout around an inner courtyard, typical of middle-ranking manor houses in the Cotentin region, gives the site an enclosed, almost monastic atmosphere, far removed from the ostentatious display of large castles. Traces of an ancient tower are a reminder that defence was never far from the minds of these country gentlemen. The interior conceals some discreet treasures: the main hall of the main dwelling retains its paving of large irregular stones, a veritable medieval floor that creaks under footsteps and instantly recreates the atmosphere of centuries gone by. Two monumental fireplaces, attributed to the 15th century, stand side by side with Louis XIII-style fireplaces installed in the early 17th century, offering a silent dialogue between the eras. The ceiling, reworked in the 18th century, adds a touch of classical sobriety to this layered interior. Outside, the south common deserves particular attention: its three granite arches are, according to historians of rural architecture, the very prototype of farm buildings in the Cotentin region. Studying this lean-to building means understanding how an architectural model spread throughout the peninsula. The door to the main dwelling, topped by a pediment and adorned with a coat of arms, bears witness to the symbolic ambitions of those who commissioned it. La Coquerie is aimed at lovers of authentic heritage, those who prefer patina to polish, historical complexity to fixed reconstructions. It's a place for the curious, for photographers who appreciate the low-angled light on the grey granite, and for all those who want to understand what life was like in the heart of France under the Ancien Régime.
Architecture
The manor house of La Coquerie is in the tradition of the manor farms of the Cotentin region: it is organised around an enclosed courtyard bounded by the main dwelling to the west, two outbuildings to the north and south, and to the east a private chapel with an entrance porch. This quadrangular layout, inherited from medieval defensive arrangements, gives the whole a remarkable unity and architectural legibility. The entire structure is built from granite rubble, a material that is ubiquitous on the Cotentin peninsula, and whose bluish-grey hue complements the Normandy sky. The roofs, probably slate, punctuate the horizontal profile of the whole. The main dwelling features the most meticulous architectural details: the stone mullioned windows, characteristic of the Norman Renaissance, punctuate the facades with sober elegance. The entrance door, surmounted by a classical pediment and adorned with a sculpted coat of arms, symbolises the noble dignity of the masters of the house. Inside, the great hall reveals a fascinating architectural palimpsest: a floor of large irregular stones of medieval origin, two monumental fifteenth-century fireplaces, two Louis XIII fireplaces from the early seventeenth century and a ceiling remodelled in the eighteenth century. Traces of an ancient tower bear witness to earlier defensive arrangements. The south common deserves a special mention: its three semi-circular arches, opening onto the courtyard, are a canonical example of Cotentin agricultural architecture. This type of building, combining shelter for people, animals and equipment in a single open gallery, would be reproduced identically on countless farms in the region for several centuries. The private chapel to the east completes the ensemble, giving it the spiritual dimension that was inseparable from the seigneurial way of life under the Ancien Régime.
Related Figures
Famille noble locale du XVe siècle, commanditaires des premières cheminées et probable origine de la tour défensiveSeigneur de la Coquerie (fin XVIe siècle), maître d'œuvre de l'ensemble Renaissance et de la chapelle privéePropriétaire du début du XVIIe siècle, responsable de l'installation des cheminées de style Louis XIIICommanditaire anonyme du XVIIIe siècle, auteur du remaniement du plafond de la grande salleInspecteur des Monuments Historiques ayant instruit le dossier d'inscription en 1973
Map
Coordinates not available for this monument.
Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Manoir de la Coquerie located?
Manoir de la Coquerie is located in Querqueville, Manche department, Normandie region, France.
When was Manoir de la Coquerie built?
Manoir de la Coquerie dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Manoir de la Coquerie open to visitors?
Manoir de la Coquerie is currently closed to visitors.