In the footsteps of Guillaume Pantol

Companion of William the Conqueror

The Historical Society of Vimoutiers in the Pays d’Auge is partnering with the celebration committee of Aubry-le-Panthou, in the Orne, near Vimoutiers, to propose an event dedicated to Guillaume Pantol, companion of William the Conqueror.

This event highlights his role in the saga of the Normans, particularly in England and Italy.
Organized on the lands of the Pantol family, the event immerses visitors in the medieval world through several key moments: a medieval camp, conferences, and a hiking trail leading to the motte castrale of the Pantols.

The medieval camp, animated by the company of Gueux Lardiers, offers knightly combat, training sessions, introductions to lance handling, as well as craft stands such as rope weaving, leather repair, and blacksmithing.

Born probably around 1035, Guillaume Pantol accompanies William the Conqueror to England. He plays an active role in the conquest and, in reward for his services, receives 29 estates in Shropshire from his lord Roger de Montgommery. In Normandy, he is lord of Noron, Saint-Germain-d’Aubri, Émiéville, Mesnil-Bacley, and Roiville, and serves as the seneschal of Perray-en-Saosnois. He generously contributes to the abbey of Saint-Évroult Notre-Dame du Bois.
His journey also takes him to Italy, where he accompanies Robert de Grandmesnil, a former abbot of Saint-Évroult who becomes abbot of Sant’Eufemia in Calabria. After tumultuous relations with the Montgommery family that bring him back to Normandy, he returns a few years later to Bari to welcome the relics of Saint Nicholas of Myra. He brings back a tooth as well as two fragments of the marble tomb, which he deposits at the Saint-Pierre abbey of Noron, which he founded in 1072 and where he rests after a life rich in twists and turns.

This commemorative event, organized in a rural setting, invites everyone to project themselves a thousand years back in time, while opening the way to new ties, particularly with Calabria.

Free

Cooperation France / Southern Italy
Partnership: Celebration Committee of Aubry-le-Panthou