Château de Pirou

Pirou

First built in timber and then rebuilt in stone in the 12th century by the lords of Pirou, the fortress watched over the Cotentin coast and protected the approach to the port of Coutances. As the shoreline retreated it lost its strategic value, which spared it from destruction at the Revolution. Abbé Marcel Lelégard bought it in 1966 and undertook its restoration, before bequeathing it in 1991 to the foundation of the abbey of La Lucerne d'Outremer, which still manages it. The château, ringed by water-filled moats, today displays a contemporary tapestry 58 metres long embroidered in Bayeux stitch, recounting the epic of the Normans in Italy.

Getting there : Open to the public, closed on Tuesdays, seasonal opening hours (10am–5pm/6.30pm)

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound