tour du Hallot

En un regard

Le château en bref

The Tour du Hallot is the last surviving remnant of the château of Villiers-en-Désœuvre. Its dating is disputed. A caption on an old postcard attributes it to Yvel, son of Robert d'Ivry, in the 11th century, whereas the castle historian Jean Mesqui dates the tower to around 1190–1200, possibly under Philippe Auguste, while considering the site to be older. He cautiously puts forward the hypothesis that Ascelin Goël d'Ivry had it fitted out in the 1090s, but without proof. The keep, built of rubble stone, measures about 9.50 m across externally and has three storeys, two of which are vaulted with a dome. It was restored around 1840, with the west wall partly rebuilt to accommodate a staircase and doors. The lordship later passed to the lords of Bréval, including Diane de Poitiers (1565), until the Revolution.