CHATEAU DE LA ROCHEFOUCAULD

On the way to yet another property we looked at east of Angouleme, we had to drive by Rochefoucauld, a quaint small town with a towering chateau above it all. Since we were early, we decided to take a tour and to be honest, not only was it worth it, it was for all of us, our first french Chateau to visit. An impressive one at that. 


Below an article I copied from a website that describes the Chateau much better than I could, an interesting fact is that by reservation you can book a room at a B&B inside the Chateau.The Rochefoucauld family lives in one large wing of the place, while the other wing is open for tours.


Personally I was very impressed by the condition of the place and of course the flooring and antiques on display. No flash photography, so some images are abit shady, but once the tour guide left us, .........it got a bit better.

Towering above the town of La Rochefoucauld by the River Rardoire in the Charente, the Château de la Rochefoucauld is an impressive castle, with its original 11th century square keep flanked by Renaissance towers.

It is still the residence of the La Rochefoucauld family,  one of the oldest noble families in France, and has been in almost continuous ownership since it was first built (during the Revolution, some members of the family were killed, while others fled to the United States).

Parts of the château are open to the public - there is no garden - and highlights include the beautiful 16th century staircase, highly ornate Renaissance detailing in the ceiling and windows, and the courtyard with its Italianate archways. 

These as well as the kitchen, the dungeon and guard rooms can be seen without the need to take the guided tour. 
However, to see the salons, including a small room with  painted wooden panelled walls and ceiling and the libraries with their antique maps and prints, you have to take the tour which is included in the ticket price. The tours occur at regular intervals and English is spoken.

The title of Duke de La Rochefoucauld was a French peerage, one of most famous families of French nobility, whose origins go back to lord Rochefoucauld in Charente (department) of the 10th Century - 11th Century (with official evidence of nobility in 1019). It became Rochefoucauld in the 13th Century.. 

IMPRESSIVE SET UP

AS SEEN FROM THE VILLAGE BELOW

THE PRIVATE WING, WHERE SOME FAMILY MEMBERS LIVE TO THIS DAY

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

DRAWING ROOM

THE FAMILY PORTRAITS OF RECENT TIMES

FAMILY ARCHIVES, DATING BACK, WAY BACK. SORT OF AN EARLY BLOG

A MUST HAVE FOR ME

 WHERE THE BLOGGER WROTE HIS POSTS

MASSIVE STAIR CASE

THIS ROOM IS CALLED THE BIRD ROOM

FAMILY TREE

ANOTHER SALON, LOVE THE WALL PANELS

MEASURING THE FLOOR FOR ACCURACY??

1 METER BY 1 METER. 

WOULD IT LOOK THAT GOOD IN A HOUSE?

CHINOISERIE

VENETIAN MIRROR

PORTRAIT

MUSIC ROOM