Chateau de Gratot, Cherbourg, France | CruiseBe
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Château de Gratot

Gratot, France
History and museums
castle, ruins, historic site

The château de Gratot is a ruined medieval castle in the commune of Gratot, in the Manche département of Basse-Normandie, France. It has been classified by the French Government as a Monument historique.

It is located only a few kilometers from the English Channel.



The first Château de Gratot was built during the 14th century, but underwent many transformations until the 18th century. It was constructed by the family of Argouges, barons of Gratot: they sold the castle in 1771. The castle is built in a number of styles, the most recent addition being a pavilion built in the 18th century.




Main entry




Round tower



The Fairy tower


According to the legend, a lord of Argouges met a very beautiful young woman at a well. He immediately fell in love, and asked her to marry him. The beauty said she was a fairy, and would accept to be his wife only if he would never say the word "death". The lord promised. One day, during a feast at the castle, the lord was upset at having to wait while his wife was dressing and said: ”Madam, you are very slow in your tasks! You would be good to send to fetch death, as you take so much time.” Then the fairy shouted, climbed onto the window sill and disappeared, leaving her handprint on the sill.

This legend is known as the legend of Melusina and was probably appropriated by the Argouges family to add prestige, or to explain some event in the family's past.


The outbuildings were constructed around the end of the 16th century. In a hall near the entrance is an exhibition called "Eight centuries of life" (French: Huit siècles de vie), about the history of the castle and the different steps of its restoration. As a cultural center, the castle regularly houses artistic events (painting, sculptures) and an annual theatrical production. ||| Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 ||| Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0

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