HouseLisieux (14)

An 18th-century presbytery, its outbuildings and 2,600 m² of tree-filled grounds, near Livarot, along the Calvados Cider and Cheese Route, in the Pays d’Auge. A forested road bordered by hedgerows leads to the property with its parish house, which is located in the immediate vicinity of the 13th-century “ad sanctos” parish church. Popularised in the Middle Ages, intra-mural burials were a way to benefit from the monks' constant prayers on behalf of the dead, guaranteeing their protection and rest in the afterlife. This “house of God” also seems to have been rather renowned judging by the amount of ancient graffiti on its walls from time immemorial, including Calvary scenes, crosses, cup and ring marks, Maltese crosses and other sailing boats.
Built in the 18th century on self-sufficient land that met the needs and well-being of the parish priest, the presbytery’s two main buildings – one of which was once used as a bakehouse – form an inverted L. Representing an architectural and stylistic unit with half-timbering and cob infill, these two buildings, in addition to a scullery and shed, are accessible via an entrance gate flanked by two brick pillars, which marks the entrance to the estate and opens onto a gravel courtyard facing west.