Normandy: Château de Bellenau (or: le Bel Esnault)

This château, which dates from 1426, lies between the village of Saint-Côme-du-Mont and the town of Carentan.

The following information has been borrowed from its website:

"The Château came to life between 1717 and 1903 when it came into the ownership of the Lafosse family and the character of the estate was moulded by the wealthy and eccentric medic called Pierre-Etiennne-Joseph Lafosse (Pierre V). Joseph (as he was known) invested his life savings into a project of collecting rare and interesting botanical specimens, including trees and ferns which he collected and propagated in the micro climate of this part of Normandy. There are still many flourishing relics of the collection in the gardens that have been lovingly restored over the past 10 years including some magnificent mature specimen Sequoia, Quercus, Ginkgo and Araucaria trees."

A handsome castle with unusual gardens in a small, hidden hamlet which has changed remarkably little over the centuries.


It was taken from the Germans by US paratroopers of the 101st Airborne in the very early hours of D-Day and thus became the first château to be liberated during the Normandy campaign.