Château d'Harcourt

Of the castle that once belonged to the Harcourt family, hitherto known as the Versailles of Normandy, all that remains today are the park and the scorched facade of the former entrance vestibule, the chapel and the outbuildings. It was once one of the finest buildings in Normandy. The castle, which once boasted a total of 264 windows, was comprised of a vast gallery overlooking the River Orne below, and of ten aligned lounges which led to the chapel. On the 12th of August 1944, as the British 59th Infantry Division reached the outskirts of Thury-Harcourt, the infamous SS Das Reich division that occupied the town set fire to the castle, reducing its precious furnishings to cinders, along with over 150 old paintings and a library with over 15,000 books.