Écouché - Petite Cité de Caractère

Écouché is located near Argentan, at the gateway to the Suisse Normande region. Although it was intensively bombed during the Second World War, it still harbors a wealth of heritage attractions.

On the paths of Saint Michel...

It is difficult to date the origins of the commune of Écouché precisely. The earliest written documents referring to the commune date from the 12th century. However, the Gallo-Roman era is attested by the remains of their buildings, burials and monetary deposits.

During the Middle Ages, Écouché was fortified, earning it the name of castrum. However, the ditches that enclosed the town were filled in at the beginning of the 16th century. At the same time, the town was used as a stopover on the pilgrimage route to Mont Saint-Michel. These thousand years of history are present in the street names of Écouché, but above all in the heritage that has been preserved.

A maze of narrow streets leads you through the town. These are lined with high walls, revealing turrets dating from the 15th and 16th centuries, located on the rear facades and serving the upper floors of these often bourgeois houses.

The former halles on Place du Général Warabiot, now halved in size, once housed the Auditoire on the upper floor, where the lower and upper courts were held. Access to this former court was via the outside staircase.

The church, listed as a Monument Historique since 1907, is impressive for the superimposition of several unfinished projects, which explains why the nave has been left in ruins.

Other heritage features include a revolutionary altar, a place of celebration, ceremony and worship of the Supreme Being during the French Revolution. At the entrance to Écouché, a Sherman tank of the 2nd DB, donated to the commune in memory of its liberation, reminds visitors that the commune was at the heart of the fighting in the summer of '44.

Not to be missed

- The church, listed as a historical monument since 1907

- Écouché?s historical and heritage trail "Au travers des ruelles", with an audio-guide available on your smartphone

- The old covered market

- The 12 tower houses

- The revolutionary altar

- The "Massaouah" float

- Walk along the banks of the Bief (3.5 km)

- The "Écouché dans la tourmente" (Ecouché in turmoil) tour retraces the period of the Second World War