A story, a passion.

Welcome to our home, an elegant manor house built during the Second Empire. Its stud farm, still in operation, was one of the first modern breeding operations of the 19th century.

Octave Geslain built the house in 1847 on the ruins of the old abbey of Saint-Laurent-de-Beauménil, the first written traces of which date back to the year 1026.

Keen to satisfy both his desire to create a stud farm in the golden triangle of Anglo-Norman breeding in the second half of the 19th century and also through his marriage to Mademoiselle Fromentin de la Fromentinière, whose parents lived on the neighboring farm of La Bayie, develop a group of buildings built in Caen stone around the manor house: on one side, stables and staff accommodation, and everything required to set up a successful breeding operation: a tack room, hay lofts, an infirmary. On the other side, a farm and its storage buildings. Around forty hectares of rich and lush pastures embrace the property bordered to the south by the Vande River and to the north by the Bursard road.

In the 1910s, Beaumenil was leased to the famous trainer/driver Valentino Capovilla, who made the stud farm a leading centre for trotting breeding.

Steeped in history, the house was, in the 1960s, owned by fashion designer Pierre Cardin, who transformed it into a Venetian palace and spent many wonderful moments there in the company of Jeanne Moreau.

Taken over by heritage enthusiasts, Beaumenil has since become a warm and modern place to live, full of memories and serenity.

The story of Uranie, a legendary mare

Among the horses born or bred in Beaumenil, the most famous remains Uranie, a thoroughbred mare born at the beginning of the 20th century, who left her mark on the history of French racing.

Uranie was a true trotting champion. Trained by Valentino Capovilla at Beaumenil, she won several major classic races in France and Europe. Her impressive career (three Prix d'Amérique victories) earned her international recognition, and she became one of the most influential broodmares of her era, passing on her excellence to numerous lines closely related to Uranie, who would go on to win fourteen Prix d'Amérique.

Her noble spirit and natural power continue to inspire the estate's breeders today. Haras de Beaumenil is proud to perpetuate the memory of this exceptional mare, even though gallopers have since replaced the legendary trotters. The paddocks surrounding the property see yearlings snort in the early spring, while other, more peaceful paddocks welcome pregnant mares.

Image : Uranie le 22 janvier 1928, le jour de sa troisième victoire au Prix d'Amérique.

Pierre Cardin and Jeanne Moreau in Beauménil

Pierre Cardin purchased the estate in 1960. Just a stone's throw from Paris, the young Italian fashion designer, who had just become a naturalized French citizen, had already recognized the qualities of the ideal home in Beaumenil! Its neoclassical architecture convinced Pierre Cardin to quickly decide to purchase the property.

The happy new owner of a house that had been damaged by time and abandoned by its original owner, who died in 1910. The heirs had rented it to Valentino Capovilla, a famous Italian trainer and driver. Pierre Cardin, originally from Veneto, imagined a Venetian palace in this house built of Caen stone! In Normandy! It was daring!

In a short time, Carrara marble paving and underfloor heating were installed, arches replaced the overly conventional double reception doors, and the two roofs of the service rooms were removed to make way for two majestic 50m² terraces. The magic happened! Welcome to Italy a tutti! Venise-sur-Orne was there! Before your eyes!

At the beginning of the 1960s, Pierre Cardin's career was experiencing real success! The couturier was in love with a young and beautiful actress: Jeanne Moreau, who was then triumphing with François Truffaut's film Jules et Jim. The lovers lived out their passion in Beaumenil, far from the Parisian hustle and bustle. In the village of Saint-Gervais-du-Perron, people remember the Sunday mornings when the two lovebirds, accompanied by Voyou, Mademoiselle Moreau's little white dog, would come to buy bread and the famous brioches from Chartier on the main street. It seemed like perfect happiness! The two Parisians would spend all their weekends there. The actress imagined creating a theater in the stud farm's attic while Cardin drew frantically and drew endless inspiration for his collections.

But the beautiful story ends; Pierre Cardin wanted to have a child with Jeanne Moreau, unfortunately uterine cancer prevented this sweet project. The two lovers each took a different path in life but remained very close until the end, leading successful careers in their respective arts. Pierre Cardin sold Beaumenil in 1971 to imagine the Palais Bulles in 1975 in Théoule-sur-mer .

Pierre Cardin et Jeanne Moreau en juin 1962. - © Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images

Journal L'Orne Hebdo