LA ROCHEFOUCAULD CASTLE

It is the largest castle in the Charente and the jewels of the Renaissance.

The La Rochefoucauld family kept the tower during all periods of expansion and reconstruction of the castle as a witness to the antiquity of their house

This is Francis II of La Rochefoucauld, companion of Francis I, who built most of the castle: two buildings, superimposed galleries, a chapel and a large spiral staircase which some say he may be designed by Leonardo da Vinci. In reality, this staircase is the same design as the Castle Bonnivet Poitou (Castle Admiral Bonnivet). The galleries are superimposed on three floors, unique in France, according to an Italian model (Farnese).

The builders of this Renaissance castle (or François II and his wife Anne de Polignac) have to heart to keep the elements of the previous castle, to affirm the continuity of the stately presence attested by old buildings (especially the dungeon and towers) , the layout is designed so that the tower remains clearly visible both from the outside of the castle from inside the courtyard.

In 1760, the wing seventeenth century, which had burned, was rebuilt.

Today, after more than a thousand years of occupation, the castle still belongs to La Rochefoucauld.

According to legend, the castle is haunted by the spirit of Melusine, who threw herself from the top of the dungeon, or the souls of the founders of the family de la Rochefoucauld