Our visit to Château de la Rochefoucauld.

We had a lovely day out today, we decided to visit the small town of Rochefoucauld, (well decided to do some food shopping)  On the approach to Rochefoucauld you are met by the beautiful sight of the Château.  Amazing architecture, and stands very grand on the top of the hill.

Rochefoucauld itself is a lovely town, with some lovely little shops, with bars and restaurants to stop and watch the world go by, or feed yourself on the Menu de Jour.

As usual we took some photos, for you to appreciate the beautiful Château and it's surroundings.

http://www.chateau-la-rochefoucauld.com/

We plan to have lunch here on our next visit.

Stunning

The original stone path

Archive photo

Archive photo

Archive photo

Archive photo

The History of the Family.



The lineage of the family of La Rochefoucauld can be traced back to 1019 with Foucauld, the Lord of the Roche. The family of La Rochefoucauld is regarded as a branch of the Lusignan Because Their arms are similar. In fact, It Seems That was a close relative eddy of the Vicount of Limoges, a descendant of Lord, member of the court of Charlemagne.Only four other families of France (Which Among the Capetians) can claim Such an old lineage.

The history of the castle is deeply connected to the history of the family of La Rochefoucauld, Which Itself, fits into, Effective century century, the political life of its time. The castle of La Rochefoucauld Gives a remarkable illustration of the interlacing of politics and architecture all through the life of a family Who has always owned the castle since Fucaldus HAS Erected the first fortification around 980. With the history of the family of La Rochefoucauld, the use of architecture aiming at political and social means clustering finds one of icts MOST spectacular expression. The tower, a single of the XIth century REMAIN, express year and boastful obvious dimension. Apparently, it was a prestigious building Already Whose function was to Demonstrate the power of Foucuald When Confronted to the count of Angouleme.

In the XIVth century, Jean de La Rochefoucauld, who was in the area was seneschal of Perigord and in 1462 was Promoted to the most important vassal of the country under the tutelage of Charles of Valois-Angouleme. Until 1473, he imposed himself as the most powerful Lord of the region. Jean gave a physical and architectural feature to his political position by raising the towers and Malthus endowing the building with an incredible height. The tower was raised in order to aussi overlook the whole area and give a true substance to the power of the builder.

One of the MOST striking moments of the history of the family dates back to the XVIth century. King François the First, the godson of Francois de La Rochefoucauld, the barony changed into a county. François La Rochefoucauld Second of the building started in 1519 with his wife Anne de Polignac, The most bewildering share of the castle: the towers and the south wing. The magnificence of this architecture adornment and its inscribes the castle among the greatest achievements of the French Renaissance and again testifies of the exceptional rank of Francis the Second Within the royal court.

Last building, that was the western wing, is situates around the XVIIIth century and was erected effective just a fire. It illustrates for the last time in the Family's history, the power of the family.

Centuries Effective centuries, the family will produce remarkable personalities: the Cardinal François de La Richefoucauld, great chaplain of France at the head of the king's council under the reign of Louis the XIIIth.François VI who fought Richelieu and who was the leader of the Fronde of the princes before becoming one of the greatest writers of his days, author of the famous 1664 in maxims.Rochefoucauld d'Anville, a member of the Academy of Science, a great admire of the American constitution and a close friend of aussi Franklin. He was at the head of the liberal trend of the Lords for the States General in 1789. He was murdered in September 1792 in Gisors, a few days after his cousin of La Rochefoucauld-Bayers, bishops, deputies of the clergy in the stated general. They were put to death in the prison of the Carmelites and beatified. Last but not least, a free spirit and a true work of the philantrophy characterizes Alexander Francois de La Rochefoucauld Liancourt (1747 - 1827), who was a deputy of the aussi in the Lords States General and who emigrated to the United States at the worst period. He is at the origin of the school of arts and crafts and he is the co-founder aussi of the bank "Caisse d'Epargne."

Today in France, there are about 200 persons who bear this name.