Piseux: History and Landscape

Piseux combines the open countryside of the Plateau de Saint-André with a local history in which medieval memory, religious tradition and manor houses stand side by side. You can explore the town from several angles during your stay: the plain of Charnelles recalls the Battle of Verneuil, while the buildings at Charnelles, Longuelune and Grosbois tell different chapters of the town’s history. Fields and wooded areas also shape the rural character of the commune.

Landscape and Getting There

Piseux stretches across the Plateau de Saint-André between Damville and Verneuil. Large agricultural fields define the landscape, with numerous clusters of trees breaking up the open spaces. The result is a succession of broad fields and smaller areas shaped by woodland. From Verneuil-sur-Avre, you can reach Piseux via the RD 51 towards Damville after about four kilometres. This route provides both a sense of the town’s location and practical directions for getting there.

Charnelles and the Battle of Verneuil

On 17 August 1424, the plain of Charnelles was the site of the Battle of Verneuil during the Hundred Years’ War. In Piseux, the Mariette de Charnelles commemorates the Battle of Verneuil-sur-Avre, lost during the Hundred Years’ War. A plaque mounted at the Château de Charnelles also recalls the battle. The historic site and these two forms of remembrance are thus clearly connected.

The Château de Charnelles was built in the 19th century on the site of the former village of Charnelles. The former church of Charnelles is now located in the estate’s park. The château’s chapel is the former parish church of Charnelles; the château also includes an enlarged former rectory. This history of the buildings adds the village’s former religious structure to the site’s connection with the battle. Piseux church also has its own historical association: it was transferred to the Abbey of Jumièges at the beginning of the 13th century.

Manor Houses and Their History

La Grande Maison de Longuelune was the seat of a fief that extended across Longuelune, Grosbois and Piseux. The manor house is a Renaissance building made of brick and roof tiles. The surviving building is said to have been built around 1550–1555 by Robert de Varennes. Its specific architectural character is thus linked to the history of a fief whose territory expressly included several localities.

The manor house of Grosbois belonged to the Aubéry du Boulley family from Verneuil in the 18th and 19th centuries. The musician Louis Prudent Aubéry du Boulley lived in the manor house for a time. The history of ownership and the biographical connection are distinct aspects: the family is recorded as the owner, while the musician’s stay was temporary.

Literary and Musical Connections

Louise Colet (1810–1876) was also connected with Piseux. She often stayed in the town; her daughter owned a country house there. It is important to distinguish between the people involved: the frequent stays were Louise Colet’s, while the country house belonged to her daughter.

The Étoiles Symphoniques festival brings together more than 200 artists aged six to 24 each year. The programme for the 2026 edition included a concert at Église Saint-Denis in Piseux on 10 August at 7 p.m. This date has passed. If you would like to plan your trip around the festival, check the dates for the relevant edition.

Discover more destinations: Mesnil Le, Château-sur-Epte, Fort-Moville, Pacy-Sur-Eure, Vesly, Normanville, Morainville-Jouveaux, Notre-Dame-De-L'isle.

For the broader travel guide: Eure.