Château de Rochecardon, château français situé à Saint-Didier-au-Mont-d'Or
The Château de Rochecardon is a Renaissance castle in Saint-Didier-au-Mont-d'Or distinguished by a hexagonal tower and small windows with stone frames. The grounds include a chapel, a pond, and an alley lined with tall trees that define the estate's layout.
The estate was originally known as La Roche de Vaise and passed through merchant families in the 1400s, including Jean Camus, a spice dealer. In the 1600s, Horace Cardon's renovations created its present form with the distinctive tower and ornamental features.
The castle takes its name from Horace Cardon, a wealthy Lyon merchant who acquired and reshaped the estate in the 1600s. His name became linked to the property and reflects the role such landowners played in the region.
The castle is private property and not open for visits, but it can be viewed from the street rue de Saint Cyr. The surrounding landscape is peaceful and allows you to observe the architecture and layout of the estate from a distance.
The famous thinker Jean-Jacques Rousseau visited the castle in 1770 and wrote portions of his Confessions there. His stay connected the place to a significant moment in French literary history.
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