Former stronghold of the Orne now in ruins, the castle of Messei was once one of the main strongholds of Normandy. Built in the 11th century, it was originally flanked by twelve towers and revealed a deep moat, a drawbridge, a prison, a chapel or even a farmyard.
Occupied by the English in the second half of the 14th century, it was subsequently returned to France thanks to the Treaty of Brétigny. Partly dismantled in the 16th century by the League, the castle of Messei saw its towers destroyed in the 19th century to serve as a material quarry for the construction of the Fonte farm.
Of the original building, only the feudal motte remains today surrounded by a moat, as well as a section of wall included in the current farm.
