The castle of Harcourt is located in the eponymous town, in the Eure, 30 km north-west of Evreux.
Its origins date back to 911, when the King of France ceded Normandy to Rollo, the chief of Viking origin who created the Duchy of Normandy. On a feudal mound, the first castle was built in wood. In the 12th century, a square stone keep was added, and during the following century, a perimeter wall was erected with twelve towers, moats surrounding the castle. In the farmyard, accessible by a châtelet, a village (with barracks, chapel, stables) developed.
In the 17th century, the castle was remodeled: the ditches were filled in and once the surrounding wall was razed to the east, its stones allowed the facade to be rearranged. Inside, a monumental staircase with an iron handrail was installed.
Sold after the Revolution, the estate was bequeathed to the Academy of Agriculture which created an arboretum there. The whole is now the property of the department.
The medieval castle, listed as a Historic Monument since 1862, is one of the best preserved in the region.
Former stronghold of the Harcourt family, its floors, which are not accessible to the public, are however decorated and furnished in a classic style (parquet floors, woodwork).
On the other hand, the ground floor is open to visitors and hosts a permanent exhibition dedicated to the history of the site.
The estate also includes an arboretum built from the 1820s made up of 500 species of trees and shrubs (some are between 150 and 200 years old and others are over 40 m high). There are cedars from Lebanon, a maple leaf plane, redwoods and red cedars, ginkgo biloba…
The site regularly hosts events.
Open daily from March 1 to November 15 (except Tuesdays from March 1 to mid-June and from September 15 to November 15). Price: from 2 to 5 euros. Information on +33 2 32 46 29 70.
