The Château de Pirou
Due to its history, France disposes of a rich variety of castles all around the country. Even though the Loire Valley is the part of France that is most famous for the quantity of castles in the area, it is possible to find a castle almost everywhere in France. The Château de Pirou is a castle in the commune of Pirou, located in the region Normandy. It is one of the oldest Norman castles. It was constructed near the shore of the English Channel, initially built of wood and then of stone in the 12th century. Due to its loss of strategic significance, as the coastline receded, it was never militarily upgraded but was also spared the destruction of fortifications during the French Revolution.
According to a famous Norman legend, the Lord of Pirou and his family, besieged by the Vikings, transformed themselves into geese in order to escape during the assault. They used an old wizard’s book for the transformation but when they returned to the castle to read the reverse spell, they discovered that the wizard’s book had been burnt with the castle. It is the reason why geese stop by each March during their annual migration towards the south.
Now the castle lies in the middle of an artificial pond, its drawbridge has been replaced by a stone bridge and the monument is open to visitors. Today it is possible to discover the ancient bakery, the press-house, the chapel, a locally made tapestry depicting historical events as well as other parts of the castle.
Château de Pirou (3, Le Château, 50770 Pirou)
