Château des Montgommery

Ducey, France

The Ducey domain came into the hands of the old Norman Montgommery family in 1521 after the wedding of James Montgommery to Claude de la Boissière, the heiress to the lands of Ducey. The castle was built at the beginning of the 17th century by Gabriel II de Montgommery, one of the sons of Montgommery first who became famous for killing Henry II, king of France, by accident in a tournament on 30th June 1559. He converted to Protestantism and became one of the greatest Protestant Chiefs in the area. Gabriel caused the hatred of Catherine de Medicis and was beheaded on the Place des Grèves on 26 th June 1574. Gabriel II de Montgommery was born in 1565 an inherited the lands of Ducey. Following his father's example, he became the chief of the Protestants in the Avranches area.

Today Château des Montgommery is open to the public.

References:

Ducey Tourism

Address

Rue du Génie 7, Ducey, France

See all sites in Ducey

Details

Founded: 17th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in France

More Information

www.ducey-tourisme.com
www.normandie-tourisme.fr

Rating

4.2/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Reine K (4 years ago)
Great place.. I like it

Barbara Janiszewska (5 years ago)
Lovely old castle.

Lewis Matthews (5 years ago)
Not a lot to see in terms of the building as it's got a big focus on the murder mystery. Still worth a visit. Staff are friendly and there's lots of history to the place.

stylawood (5 years ago)
Lovely little chateau, however you're not allowed in.

guillaume foucaut (5 years ago)
Très beau cadre parc agréable avec des possibilités de s assoir et de lire

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Photo from Flickr, copyright diannlroy.com

Historic Site of the week

Jan Hus Memorial

The Jan Hus Memorial stands at one end of Old Town Square. The huge monument depicts victorious Hussite warriors and Protestants who were forced into exile 200 years after Hus, and a young mother who symbolises national rebirth. The monument was so large that the sculptor designed and built his own villa and studio where the work could be carried out. It was unveiled in 1915 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Jan Hus' martyrdom. The memorial was designed by Ladislav Šaloun and paid for solely by public donations.

Born in 1369, Hus became an influential religious thinker, philosopher, and reformer in Prague. He was a key predecessor to the Protestant movement of the sixteenth century. In his works he criticized religious moral decay of the Catholic Church. Accordingly, the Czech patriot Hus believed that mass should be given in the vernacular, or local language, rather than in Latin. He was inspired by the teachings of John Wycliffe.