If you visit Beuvron-en-Auge and you wish to prolong your stroll in the Pays d'Auge, do not hesitate to continue your way south until Victot-en-Auge, the commune of the territory which formerly united Victot-Ponfol and Gerrots. The village is also located on the Route cider, an ideal route to take by car to immerse yourself in the Auge countryside and taste the typical products of the Calvados.
Here, remarkable residences such as the castle of the XVIIe century will catch your eye.
The Dupont House
The Dupont family has been operating for several decades 30 hectares of orchards cider apples. For four generations, this family business has transformed the fruits of its harvest into various gastronomic products: ciders traditional and special vintages, calvados et Normandy pommel.
In the store, which is open all year round, you will discover, among other things, a range of 17 calvados. During the summer season, the Dupont House opens its doors to you. The guided tours, followed by a tasting excellent calvados and vintage ciders, introduce you to the estate and the profession of cider producer.
Guided tours are open to individuals during the summer season. However, groups can be accommodated all year round upon reservation.
But the activities of Dupont House don't stop there. Indeed, the domain is at the initiative of various events and animations such as gourmet walks and musical aperitifs. It is even possible to participate in the apple harvest in October and November!
The Castle of Victot
Another charm and not the least, a few steps from Saint Denis church, in the Dorette valley, is the castle of Victot, where century-old chestnut trees precede the entrance gate.
Considered to be “one of the purest jewels of the Pays d'Auge”, this very beautiful building is listed as a Historic Monuments since 1953. Unfortunately, it is not open to visitors and belongs to an uncle of the Emir of Qatar. Even though the house was badly damaged during the Hundred Years' War, it still retains the appearance of defensive castle, surrounded by moats, with a drawbridge and loopholes. Its reconstruction between 1570 and 1574 by the Boutin family brought typical characteristics of the Renaissance such as the large mullioned windows, the colored glazed tiles of the roof and the finials.
The castle was then transformed into stud by Pierre Aumont, in 1798. He was the general supplier of horses to the Grande Armée of Napoleon Ier. His heirs made the reputation of Haras de Victot last.
After more than two centuries in the hands of this Norman family, it was bought by Sheikh Abdullah Al-Thani in 2014, for the sum of 6,5 million euros.
Saint Martin's Church
After the castles, let's move on to the church of Victot-en-Auge. In Romanesque style, it was built in the 11th centurye century, then remodeled in the XNUMXthe century. It is composed of two buildings: a three-bay nave, covered with tiles, and an older choir, covered with slate.
Above the west entrance, a small square tower is surmounted by a bell tower, topped with a 4-sided spire. If you can get into the church, you will enjoy the high altar of the XVIIe century. The 2 patron saints Martin and Lubin are carved there. The invocation of these two saints also suggests an origin pre-Norman Merovingian or Carolingian of the site.
Auge landscapes
On either side of the church are two manor houses: which bear witness to the typical architecture of the beautiful Auge residences.
Appreciate the cows grazing in the pastures, the horses grazing and the apple orchards: you are indeed in the heart of the Pays d'Auge.
The mound of the Cour des Domaines
Another site bears witness to an older history. On a private property 1 m east of the church, you may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the castle mound of the Cour des Domaines, from the road to Rumesnil or the town hall. The feudal mound measures 30 m in diameter. It is surrounded by two enclosures and ditches 7 to 8 m deep which were once fed by the waters of a small nearby stream. All that remains of this old castle is the motte castrale, the barnyard and the ditches which have been classified as historical monuments since 1981.
Continuing straight, you reach the Cider Route. It awaits you for the rest of your journey and to taste the famous Norman products: cider, pommeau and calvados.