Château de Bizy, Vernon, France - SpottingHistory.com

Château de Bizy was built first in 1675 by Michel-André Jubert de Bouville and reconstructed in 1740 by Coutant d'Ivry. He redesigned the castle in a classical style inspired by Versailles. Bizy has had notable owners, including Louis XV, the Duke of Penthièvre and Louis-Philippe. In the castle, the rooms are decorated with beautiful Regency woodwork and house mementoes from the Bonaparte family, as well as from marshals Suchet, Masséna and Davout. The visitor should not miss the Gobelin tapestries in extraordinary colours and a marquetry pedestal table presented by Napoleon I. The English style park, planted with large trees several centuries old, offers opportunities for lovely strolls around fountains, ponds and statues from the 18th century.

References:

Normandy Tourism

User Reviews

Alison Pharaoh (3 years ago)
This is a don't miss! Stunning chateau with beautifully decorated rooms oozing Napoleonic and revolutionary history. There's an orangery, stables, fountains, statues, artworks and stunning gardens. And when we were there, hardly anyone else to share it with. If you're going to Giverny, call in on the way. The family still live here so it's an absolute privilege to have visited. C'est tres magnifique!

Justin Rahardjo (3 years ago)
Our guide was great! She explained the ownership of the Chateau quite thoroughly and in a way that is understandable to those who don't really know too much about French history. It's a beautiful place and the gardens are so peaceful since there's not many people around.

smellgone (3 years ago)
Chateau in good order, but not much of it open for inspection/tour. Tour only in French with limited printed notes in English

Alastair Dunning (3 years ago)
A massive green park, laden with fountains and huge trees. It is blissfully deserted in comparison to the evil scrum of tourists crawling around the nearby Claude Monet gardens. (The photo can be used with attribution ie it is CC-by)

Riad Joseph (3 years ago)
Huge garden, big on history, owners still there, ask for the guided tour it’s well worth it. Hope you encounter the dancers dressed up and if you play the piano you can try it, sounds amazing.

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Château de Falaise

Château de Falaise is best known as a castle, where William the Conqueror, the son of Duke Robert of Normandy, was born in about 1028. William went on to conquer England and become king and possession of the castle descended through his heirs until the 13th century when it was captured by King Philip II of France. Possession of the castle changed hands several times during the Hundred Years' War. The castle was deserted during the 17th century. Since 1840 it has been protected as a monument historique.

The castle (12th–13th century), which overlooks the town from a high crag, was formerly the seat of the Dukes of Normandy. The construction was started on the site of an earlier castle in 1123 by Henry I of England, with the 'large keep' (grand donjon). Later was added the 'small keep' (petit donjon). The tower built in the first quarter of the 12th century contained a hall, chapel, and a room for the lord, but no small rooms for a complicated household arrangement; in this way, it was similar to towers at Corfe, Norwich, and Portchester, all in England. In 1202 Arthur I, Duke of Brittany was King John of England's nephew, was imprisoned in Falaise castle's keep. According to contemporaneous chronicler Ralph of Coggeshall, John ordered two of his servants to mutilate the duke. Hugh de Burgh was in charge of guarding Arthur and refused to let him be mutilated, but to demoralise Arthur's supporters was to announce his death. The circumstances of Arthur's death are unclear, though he probably died in 1203.

In about 1207, after having conquered Normandy, Philip II Augustus ordered the building of a new cylindrical keep. It was later named the Talbot Tower (Tour Talbot) after the English commander responsible for its repair during the Hundred Years' War. It is a tall round tower, similar design to the towers built at Gisors and the medieval Louvre.Possession of the castle changed hands several times during the Hundred Years' War. The castle was deserted during the 17th century. Since 1840, Château de Falaise has been recognised as a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture.

A programme of restoration was carried out between 1870 and 1874. The castle suffered due to bombardment during the Second World War in the battle for the Falaise pocket in 1944, but the three keeps were unscathed.

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