Fécamp : du palatium ducis au paladium rei : histoire et archéologie d'une résidence fortifiée ducale normande, de ses antécédents et de ses prolongements
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Abstract EN:
The present study is based on multidisciplinary research, for wich archaeological evidence as well as the usual written data was used. Focused on the dukes of normandy palace in fecamp (seine-maritime) from the 10th to the 13th century, it aims at elucidating through a historical and archaeological case-study what is a princely dwelling - a notion that is still quite vague in france, as a concept and as a struc- ture. It also brings to the fore some information about the general history of normandy and about the evolution of fortifications. Part i deals with the ancient and carolingian times of the site : it shows during the 9th century a monastic castle was substituted for a previous hill-fort, built du- ring the proto-historical period of tene iii. This new castle function was to protect the nunnery settled there during the mid-7th century. Two carolingian chapels and some other monastic buildings has been dug out and investigated. Although not a major monastery in the pays de caux, this abbey was then quite prosperous, in a time of e- conomic expansion. The vikings, as shown by the dig, destroyed the place, but the site was never completely deserted. The dukes of normandy included those ruins in their possessions, built their own villa on the spot, and reshaped it into a pa- lace before 1025. Fecamp, the abbey of which was then restored, became the main cen- ter of the political and religious reform of the ducal territory, based upon the de- velopment of a palace and a regnum, in the carolingian way. Such a process was uni- que, ignored by other contemporary northern magnates. This dwelling had been excava- ted as well as the huge fortifications which were built as the palace was erected. But the palatium system soon went into decay ; during the 12th century, the palace was reor- ganized into a castrum, as the building of a new type of castle by henri ii shows. This deep change has to be related to the evolution of the notion of palace in fran- ce. Fecamp was no longer the ducal center. The abbot made the palatium dei ant its famous relics the local focal point (late 11th century). Finally, the castrum was included within the fortified abbey. Philip le bel handed over the old castle to the monks, who reorganized it during the hundred years war and later partly destroyed it in the early modern period.
Abstract FR:
La recherche menee repose sur une enquete pluridisciplinaire qui utilise, conjointement, les sources ecrites traditionnelles et la documentation archeologique. Elle est centree sur l'etude du palais des ducs de normandie a fecamp (xe-xiiie siecles ; seine-maritime). Elle se proposait d'eclairer, a l'aide d'un exemple precis, etaye par une fouille, cette notion de palais et de residence princiere qui, en france, reste particulierement floue tant sur le plan des concepts que sur le plan morphologique. Et ce faisant, elle a permis d'apporter diverses informations relatives a l'histoire de la normandie et a l'evolution des fortifications. La premiere partie est consacree aux antecedents antiques et carolingiens du site. L'etude montre comment on est passe d'un oppidum protohistorique de la tene iii a un probable oppidum monastique du ixe siecle, concu pour proteger l'abbaye de moniales installee en ces lieux des le milieu du viie siecle. Deux chapelles carolingiennes et divers batiments monastiques annexes ont ete mis au jour. Cette abbaye secondaire du pays de caux atteint alors un certain degre de prosperite dans un contexte d'ouverture. Mais les vikings, dont on mesure l'impact reel, detruisent l'etablissement sans pour autant provoquer l'abandon total du site. Ces ruines sont integrees au xe s. Dans le patrimoine des ducs qui y edifient une villa transformee en palais avant 1025. Fecamp, dont l'abbaye est restauree, devient alors le pivot majeur de la reorganisation politique et religieuse du duche et ce, dans une optique carolingienne fondee sur le developpement d'un palais et d'un regnum. Une politique sans equivalent chez les autres princes territoriaux du nord. Cette residence a ete retrouvee ainsi que les enormes amenagements castraux realises au moment de la creation palatiale. Mais le programme du palatium fait rapidement faillite. On passe au xiie siecle du palatium au castrum ainsi que le montre la realisation par henri ii d'un chateau novateur. La mutation doit etre rapprochee de l'evolution qui affecte en france le concept palatial. Fecamp n'est plus capitale ducale. L'abbe fait du palatium dei et de sa celebre relique le point de mire local (fin du xie s. ). L'ultime etape voit le passage du castrum a l'abbaye fortifiee. Philippe le bel livre l'ancien chateau aux moines qui l'amenagent pendant la guerre de cent ans avant de le raser partiellement a l'epoque moderne.