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. The estate, built on the slopes of Mont Canisy, offers a privileged panoramic view.

Auguste Renoir in Bénerville

In the early summer of 1892, the canvas of Bénerville was embellished with the colors of Pierre-Auguste Renoir. In the soft, historic atmosphere of the Villa, the painter captures the grace of Madame Gallimard, giving the house a foretaste of its future artistic destiny.

The meanders of time

On August 29, 1894, Auguste Renoir returned to the Gallimard family home. He painted a portrait of their youngest son, Jacques, and a new portrait of Lucie, herself an amateur painter who had her own artist's studio downstairs on the family estate: the Villa Lucie.

Marcel Proust in Bénerville

In 1908, Marcel Proust 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 work was finally published at the end of 1913 by Bernard Grasset, and Proust did not return to Gallimard until 1918). 

On December 17, 1912, Gaston Gallimard married the granddaughter of the former owner of the Hôtel de Cluny in Paris, Yvonne Redelsperger. The walls of the manor house echo with their newfound happiness.

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.

In July 1913, relations between the two men became increasingly strained: Jacques Rivière fell in love with Yvonne Redelsperger and declared his love for her.

On January 10, 1914, Yvonne gave birth to her only son, Claude. Her relationship with Jacques Rivière waned and faded with the outbreak of war. 

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

Divorced from Yvonne Redelsperger and remarried to Jeanne-Léonie Dumont, Gaston Gallimard produced Jean Renoir's 1933 film "Madame Bovary", starring the actress Valentine Tessier, with whom he was having an affair. The film was a commercial failure.

On January 4, 1934, at the Ciné-Opéra, the screen lit up with images of "Madame Bovary".

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. 

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 a 5-star hotel SPA restaurant, adding a new note to the enchanting melody resonating within the walls of this historic residence. La Maison Douce Epoque was born. Le Manoir de Bénerville continues to write its own history.