An exceptional place with a rich history

The design

In 1874, Paul Gallimard, a trained architect, art collector and father of future publisher Gaston Gallimard, commissioned architect Ernest Saintin to build his future Norman manor house. The project was completed in 1883. Château Gabriel, built on the slopes of Mont Canisy, offers a privileged panoramic view, and a few years later inspired the construction of the Manoir de Bénerville, known at the time as "Le Castel Bénerville".

Bénerville Beach. Sunset

As a painter of seascapes and skies, Eugène Boudin was the embodiment of the seaside region of Normandy. The artist placed great importance on the study of sky and clouds, as well as the representation of rocky masses in which the imposing cliffs of the Vaches Noires can be seen in the distance. A plein-air painter, Boudin chose the pastel technique before the Impressionists, a flexible material that enabled him to quickly capture the moving spectacle of cloudy skies.

In 1894, he painted this famous picture, now on display at Giverny.

Proust in Bénerville

From 1908 to 1912, Marcel Proust spent a great deal of time in Bénerville.

Despite his second home in Cabourg, he enjoyed excursions to this fashionable commune, and befriended his future publisher, Gaston Gallimard. In the years that followed, the relationship between the two men grew stronger, and in 1912 Marcel Proust naturally offered to publish the first volume of his novel, "Du côté de chez Swan", with the manager of the Nouvelle Revue Française (NRF).

The neighboring villas seem conducive to erudite discussions mixing poetry and philosophy under the soft light of the Normandy coast.

The meanders of time

In 1908, François Stephen-Ribes, a wealthy Parisian stockbroker and husband of the no less wealthy Desmarais oil heiress, had the Castel Bénerville built. Henri Goury, architect to the Hachette family, was entrusted with the ambitious project.

After fourteen months of construction work, the building was completed. The central part of the Manoir is taken up by the vast hall with its unobstructed view of the sea. Benerville became a favorite resort for illustrious visitors, painters, bankers, writers, politicians, musicians, etc.

Jacques Rivière and his family stay in Bénerville

In 1913, the Gallimard family welcomed novelist, critic and essayist Jacques Rivière, his wife Isabelle and their daughter Jacqueline to the Manoir de Bénerville. Their stay seals a friendship between the two men that is as unlikely as it is surprising.

The Côte Fleurie inspires fashion

In the spring of 1912, Deauville caught the eye of young milliner Gabrielle Chanel.

The Belle Epoque saw the blossoming of seaside resorts and outdoor leisure sports. Deauville charms with its Anglo-Norman architecture, beachfront promenade and affluent population. Gabrielle Chanel entered through the front door on the arm of Boy Capel, an English polo player who had become her lover and with whom she was madly enamored. Two years earlier, with his support, she had opened her hat boutique in Paris and dreamed of opening a second one. Deauville was to be her showcase from 1913 onwards.

During the First World War, the French Navy took possession of Mont Canisy from 1916 to 1918 to install an anti-submarine defense post.

Even before the end of the war, Rivière took part with his friends in the revival of La NRF. In 1919, he was appointed editor of the magazine, and the first post-war issue came out under his direction on June 1, 1919.

In November 1922, Jacques Rivière published his first novel, "Aimée", inspired by his love for Yvonne Gallimard. The book is published by ... Editions Gallimard

In the 1930s, François Coty, founding father of modern perfumery, and his wife Mme Yvonne Le Baron, a Parisian milliner, settled in Bénerville sur Mer. Le Castel was renamed "Le Caniset" in 1934.

Yvonne Le Baron remarried Léon Cotnareanu in 1933 and organized sumptuous receptions in Benerville. The frenzy of the seaside resort encouraged the Tout-Paris to discover the Côte Fleurie.

In 1940, the German army took possession of the Mont Canisy batteries. The Manoir and its outbuildings were occupied by the General Staff until 1944.

At the turn of the millennium, in 2001, the Manoir de Bénerville, a vestige of the past, regained its splendor. Meticulously restored, it opened its doors to travelers eager to discover the history imbued in its walls, transforming itself into a warm haven dedicated to bed & breakfast. 

The dawn of a new era

In 2023, Emmanuelle Bourgueil, like a guardian of time, breathes new life into the manor house. As a passionate restaurateur, she transformed the former establishment into an upscale hotel, adding a new note to the enchanting melody that resonates within the walls of this historic residence. La Maison Douce Epoque was born. Le Manoir de Bénerville continues to write its own history.