Bizy Mansion (Château de Bizy)

Hidden behind century-old foliage, Château de Bizy, that used to be called "the small Versailles", offers visitors the majesty of its courtyard, the beauty of its furniture and the charm of its park (listed as French National Heritage) embellished with fountains, waterfalls and water jets that evoke the former baroque splendour of the 18th century. Neptune Fountain

The mansion was built for Marshal of Belle Isle, grandson of the famous Fouquet, in 1723; The estate was then bequeathed to the Duke of Penthièvre, Louis XIV's grandson, who took up residence there until his death in 1793.

The Duke, "the embodiment of bountiful Providence", dubbed " the Father of the Destitute " and whose wealth was "the patrimony of the poor placed in the hands of Fortune by Virtue", was respected and loved by everyone, and even during the worst periods of the Revolution the Phrygian-capped 'sans culottes' would bow and present arms to him, making sure he was always safe. The people of Vernon respected and certainly loved their Duke so much that at the very moment of the September massacres in 1792 (mass murders of political prisoners), the city councellors - though notorious for their extreme revolutionary passion - decided that " a liberty tree would be planted in front of the mansion so as to show the good Lord that the hearts of his vassals had not changed."(Note the words 'the good Lord', 'his vassals'!)They must have had good reasons to dare write this at a time when all the princes and noblemen were either in exile or imprisoned or about to be beheaded when the September massacres caused 1,300 deaths.

The main courtyard

General view of the estate

Among the other famous residents of the mansion, King Louis Philippe (1773 - 1850, king from 1830 to 1848) had the lower part of the park redesigned in the English style and planted the trees that are today the glory of the place. The king frequently came to stay in Vernon, especially after 1843 when the town could be reached by train : "its was only a five-quarter of an hour's ride from Paris" as he wrote.

The grand drawing room

Somewhat later Baron Schickler erected the main body of today's mansion and bequeathed it to a nephew of his, Louis Suchet, Duke of Albuféra, whose family still owns the place. The rooms are famous for their wood panelling and tapestries. In this setting are exhibited numerous memorabilia from Napoleon's time collected by the descendants of the Marshal : they make Bizy Mansion a remarkable Napoleonic museum.

 

Bizy Mansion is part of the tourist ' Route Normandie - Vexin' to which belong numerous sites and monuments between Vernon and Rouen. André Castelot (a popular historian who lived near Vernon) wrote about this part of Normandy :" Its churches, its villages, its half-timbered thatched houses, its fortified farms, its monuments, its castles, mansions and abbeys keep on inviting visitors and lovers of art and history to discover all its treasures intimately."

photographic credits: Castelet

Practical information

The mansion is located just outside Vernon in the Pacy / Evreux / A13 -Rouen direction. Open from April 1 to November 1 everyday except Mondays, 10h - 12h and 14h-18h.

In March the mansion has more limited opening hours. Please enquire.
The visit takes approximately one hour
Tickets: 6,50 € and reduced price for children and groups.
Tel : 02 32 51 00 82 - Fax : 02 32 21 66 54
email : chateaudebizy@chateauxcountry.com

Information about 'Route Normandie Vexin' available at the Tourist Office in Vernon.