La Roche-Faugère Castle

La Roche-Faugère Castle, locally known as Château de La Roche-Faugère, lies in the village of Laroche, in the Haute-Loire department in France.

La Roche-Faugère Castle seems to date back to the beginning of the 13th century and could have been built by the Rochefort d'Ally family, who during that period replaced the Ungle family in the area as lords. In 1291 the castle passed to a younger branch of the family; the Rochefort de la Roche.

A descendant of the Rochefort de la Roche family married Jean de Chalvet de Rochemonteix in 1587. The Rochemonteix' however preferred to reside in their castle at Vernassal, which resulted in the abandonment and falling to ruin of the feudal castle.

The castle was built on a basaltic rock. It now consists of a rectangular keep with 3 rounded corners protected by a gate building. Below it are the ruins of a 15/16th century chapel and a gate of the former village walls.

At present La Roche-Faugère Castle itself is inaccessible. That is: I could not find a way in. The ruined chapel however is freely accessible, although quite overgrown. A nice ruin.

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