It is an infrequent example of secular medieval architecture preserved in the former Lower Normandy region, along with the room known as the "Échiquier" located within the walls of the Caen Castle.

It has preserved many of its original features and is now regarded as a significant element of Norman architectural heritage, as stated by Nicolas-Méry.

[A 8] The construction of the building required the bishop's approval and served as a grand display of the Subligny family's influence in the city,[A 8] complementing the abbey located in the northern part of their domain.

[A 9] It is believed that the building may have accommodated Henry II Plantagenet and his retinue during the penance of 21 May 1172, following the assassination of Thomas Becket.

[C 2] This type of seignioral living quarters, common in the Anglo-Norman region, featured a cellar and a chamber for the lord on the upper floor.

[A 13] The building served as the seat of the Avranches deanery, as documented in a charter preserved in the Departmental Archives of Manche[C 1] until the French Revolution.

[C 2] Significant work was carried out by Bishop Raoul de Thieuville[2] and his successors from the late 13th century onwards, which included replacing the frame.

[A 16] During May 1940, the deanery functioned as a storage facility for manuscripts and valuable books from the Avranches library under the ownership of deputy Maxime Fauchon.

Following the city's occupation on 20 June, records indicate that Germans, including a university professor who later perished on the Russian front, accessed the books for consultation by the year's end.

[A 30] Scientific interest in the building began in 2000[A 31] after a new mutation was discovered, prompting the owners to open it to the public and researchers.

[A 9] The north wall has preserved its medieval features, such as flat buttresses and an access door to the lower hall.

[A 23] The wall is constructed of typical granite rubble masonry, with the buttresses and quoins made of regularly dimension stones.

"[A 39] The wood used during that period was of low quality due to "extensive deforestation,"[A 40] leading to design flaws in the frame.

[A 35] Additionally, there was a water point in the hall, a basin of 0.50 meters deep supplied by upwellings through faults in the rock.

[A 44] The lower hall underwent renovations dating from the late 13th to the 15th century to enable the Petit Doyenné to have direct access to this storage area.

[A 45] The door connecting the cellar to the staircase resembles those found in Romanesque religious buildings in the region but is a unique example used in civil architecture.

[A 47] The staircase originally led to a walkway designed for "visual control of the entire area" and was not for defensive purposes.

[A 50] The hall of the chessboard in the castle of Caen, a fairly comparable building, initially had only a central hearth and no fireplace.

[A 50] In terms of decorative elements, fragments of white painted plaster with false red jointing have been discovered.

[A 50] The examination of the eastern wall of the building also uncovered a passage between the Petit Doyenné and the large hall, which is currently sealed off.

[A 51] The lower part of the structure was used for "domestic functions," while the upper floor, slightly elevated above the courtyard, may have served as the lord's chamber.

[C 2][A 11] The owners were keen on "asserting their power within the fortified episcopal city" and controlled trade, which was their main source of income.

[A 54] Nicolas-Méry suggests the hypothesis that the complex was gradually repurposed: the lodging may have been converted into the bailiwick's auditorium or relocated at a later time.