Château de La Roche-Guyon

La Roche-Guyon, France

The present Château de La Roche-Guyon was built in the 12th century, controlling a river crossing of the Seine. In the mid-13th century, a fortified manor house was added below. Guy de La Roche fell at the Battle of Agincourt, and his widow was ousted from the Roche, after six months of siege, in 1419; she preferred to depart rather than accept Henry Plantagenet as her overlord. It came to the Liancourt family with the marriage of Roger de Plessis-Liancourt to the heiress Marie de La Roche; he was a childhood companion of Louis XIII, first gentleman of the Chambre du Roi, and was made a duke in 1643. He and his wife made great changes to the château-bas, opening windows in its structure and laying out the terrace to the east, partly cut into the mountain's steep slope.

The domain of La Roche-Guyon came to the La Rochefoucauld family in 1669, with the marriage of Jeanne-Charlotte de Plessis-Liancourt with François VII de La Rochefoucauld. The Château retained its medieval aspect of a fortress, with its moat and towers and cramped, dark living apartments. The Château was largely extended in the 18th century.

After D-Day in World War II, German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel defended Normandy against the Allies in World War II from a bunker located here. The castle also was Rommel's headquarters.

Restorations and archaeological surveys undertaken after 1990 by the Conservatoire régional des Monuments historiques revealed new additions to the documentary history of La Roche-Guyon, undertaken in the 19th century by Hippolyte Alexandre and Emile Rousse.

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Details

Founded: 12th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in France
Historical period: Birth of Capetian dynasty (France)

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.3/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Erik Mannery (5 years ago)
The castle itself is beautiful and so is the surrounding village which is quiet and relaxing to walk around. The castle is built on huge chalk cliffs making the hike up challenging but well worth it. If you are going to Normandy or to Monet's garden in Giverny, La Roche-Guyon is well worth it and I liked it better that Giverny- much less crowded and history is more interesting than art anyway.
Rob Rich (6 years ago)
Marvelous old chateau, which was rommel's hq in WWII. Wish they had more of the original furniture.
Eduardo Vignon (6 years ago)
A great chateau to visit off the beaten path. Very few people so you basically have the castle for yourself. It is lovely and it's near Giverny.
Robert A (6 years ago)
Beautiful castle. You can climb up the rock face and you get a great view. We'll worth the visit
Arturo Marte (6 years ago)
Great outing ahead if you take the time to head over to La Roche-Guyon! Enjoy a nice stroll along la Seine before heading to the castle. Recommend the guided tour ! And make sure to take a good pair of walking shoes cause the troglodyte stairs up to the old dungeon are pretty steep (250 steps)! Enjoy
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