Château de Rochechouart, Medieval castle in Rochechouart, France
The castle stands on a rocky promontory at the meeting point of the Graine and Vayres valleys, featuring Renaissance architecture and Gothic elements.
The construction began around the year 1000, with the Rochechouart family residing there for eight centuries until its sale to the Haute-Vienne department in 1836.
The castle contains exceptional French Renaissance frescoes in the Hunting Scenes Room and Hercules Gallery, displaying medieval and 16th-century painting techniques.
The Department of Contemporary Art Museum occupies the castle premises, allowing visitors to explore both historical architecture and modern exhibitions throughout the year.
The castle walls incorporate impactite, a rare rock formed by a meteorite impact that struck the region 210 million years ago.
Location: Rochechouart
GPS coordinates: 45.82139,0.81917
Latest update: June 23, 2025 09:44
The Nouvelle-Aquitaine region contains historic and natural sites often overlooked by traditional tourist routes. The area features military castles such as Bonaguil with its seven 13th-century towers, underground churches carved into limestone in Saint-Émilion and Aubeterre-sur-Dronne, as well as caves decorated with Paleolithic paintings like that of Villars. Medieval villages such as Talmont-sur-Gironde preserve their original layout and overlook the Gironde estuary. From Dordogne to the Pyrenean foothills, the region presents rock-hewn forts like Maison Forte de Reignac, Benedictine abbeys established since the 8th century in Brantôme, and Romanesque churches like the Collegiate Church of Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat. The Vayres and Roquetaillade castles demonstrate the evolution of fortified architecture from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. These sites reflect the military, religious, and cultural history of the region and provide diverse examples of southwestern France's architectural heritage.
Rochechouart crater
2.8 km
Thermes de Chassenon
4.8 km
Cassinomagus
4.8 km
Château de Rochebrune
8.7 km
Astroblème De Rochechouart-Chassenon
95 m
Prieuré d'Étricor
5.6 km
St Sauveur church to Rochechouart
259 m
Musée départemental de Rochechouart
9 m
Église de Dournazac
23.2 km
Église Saint-Saturnin de Chaillac-sur-Vienne
7.7 km
Pont Sainte-Élisabeth (Saint-Junien)
9.3 km
Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Chassenon
5.4 km
Église Saint-Gervais de Videix
7.4 km
Église Saint-Pierre de Étagnac
8.8 km
Église Saint-Martin de Pressignac
6 km
St Julien-de-Brioude church to Biennat (Rochechouart)
2 km
Notre-Dame-du-pont
9 km
Maison de la Réserve – Espace Météorite Paul Pellas
206 m
Église Notre-Dame-des-Anges de Saillat-sur-Vienne
5.7 km
Abbaye de Saint-Amand
8.9 km
Pont du Moulin de la Côte
351 m
Église Saint-Jean de Vayres
7 km
Église de la Transfiguration-de-Notre-Seigneur de Chéronnac
8.2 km
Château de Saint-Auvent
8.7 km
Pont Notre-Dame (Saint-Junien)
9 km
Prieuré Saint-Sauveur de Rochechouart
287 m
Chapelle sanctuaire Notre-Dame-de-la-Paix de Saint-Auvent
9.1 km
Pont sur la Graine
200 mReviews
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