Manoir de la Fieffe
ManorHidden Treasure
Manoir de la Fieffe, located in La Glacerie (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
- La Glacerie, Manche, Normandie
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 49.6192, -1.5878
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00110409
A discreet jewel of the Cotentin region, the Manoir de la Fieffe boasts the understated elegance of 17th-century Norman architecture: half-timbering, limestone and a slate roof create a picture of seductive authenticity.
History
Nestling in the commune of La Glacerie, just outside Cherbourg, the Manoir de la Fieffe is one of the silent witnesses to Norman landed gentry that dot the Cotentin region. Far from the pomp and circumstance of princes, it embodies the moderation and elegance typical of the provincial manor house of the Grand Siècle, where local stone and wood are combined with calculated sobriety. Its inclusion on the Monuments Historiques list in 1977 confirms a heritage value that specialists in Norman architecture had long recognised. What distinguishes the Manoir de la Fieffe from its counterparts in the Cotentin region is precisely this preserved stylistic coherence: the building has not undergone the untimely alterations that disfigure so many residences from this period. The proportions of the openings, the composition of the facades and the layout of the farm outbuildings still reflect the spirit of an era when rural architecture knew how to combine utility and dignity. The pedimented dormers, typical of 17th-century Normandy, punctuate the generous, long-sloped Angers slate roof. A visit here is above all a sensory experience: the grey-blue granite bonding of the Cotentin peninsula contrasts with the white tufa stone frames of the windows, creating the chromatic interplay so typical of southern Normandy. Around the main building, the former outbuildings and the traditional "clos-masure" (hedged farmland enclosed by planted embankments) invite you to take a stroll, where the architecture blends into the grassy landscape. The very setting of La Glacerie, now part of the Cherbourg conurbation but retaining its unspoilt rural areas, adds to the interest of the site. Visitors sensitive to vernacular heritage will find here an exemplary illustration of the way in which, in the century of Louis XIV, the lesser nobility of dress and sword expressed their social success through measured but refined architecture.
Architecture
The Manoir de la Fieffe is an example of the 17th-century "Norman country house" style, characterised by a balanced blend of late Renaissance features and the region's medieval building traditions. The main building has a two-storey elevation topped by a habitable attic lit by dormer windows with triangular or segmental pediments, a typical feature of Norman architecture from the 1620-1670 period. The walls, made of coursed Cotentin granite, feature the characteristic bluish-grey colour of the peninsula, enhanced by window surrounds in lighter limestone ashlar. The main facade has a sober but rigorous composition: a slightly protruding central bay, pierced by a carriage entrance with a round or segmental arch, structures the whole and bears witness to a knowledge of the principles of symmetry disseminated by the architectural treatises of the Grand Siècle. The mullioned windows, still present in some parts of the building, coexist with more modern lattice windows, testifying to construction spread over several decades or to discreet 18th-century alterations. The long-sloped roof, covered in the customary Norman Angers slate, gives the building the massive, compact silhouette that characterises Cotentin manor houses in the face of the Atlantic weather. The farm outbuildings - barn, wine press and stables - surround the dwelling, completing the picture of a self-sufficient seigneurial estate. The property is traditionally enclosed by hedgerows planted with oak and ash trees, forming the quintessential Norman clos-masure. A few decorative elements - window surrounds with crossettes, cornice mouldings - betray the aesthetic ambitions of a patron keen to display his social success while remaining within the canons of provincial noble modesty.
Related Figures
Famille seigneuriale fondatrice (XVIIe siècle) — commanditaires présumés du manoir, appartenant à la petite noblesse terrienne du CotentinMaître maçon cotentinais anonyme — artisan bâtisseur formé aux traditions constructives normandes du Grand SièclePropriétaires bourgeois du XIXe siècle — familles enrichies par l'essor du port de Cherbourg, garants de la conservation du manoirInspecteurs des Monuments Historiques (années 1970) — acteurs de la reconnaissance patrimoniale ayant conduit à l'inscription de 1977
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Manoir de la Fieffe located?
Manoir de la Fieffe is located in La Glacerie, Manche department, Normandie region, France.
When was Manoir de la Fieffe built?
Manoir de la Fieffe dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Manoir de la Fieffe open to visitors?
Manoir de la Fieffe is currently closed to visitors.