Rochefort Castle

Rochefort Castle, locally known as Vieux Château Comtal de Rochefort, lies in the center of the town with the same name, in the province of Namur in the Wallonia region in Belgium.

A castle was first mentioned at this site in 1155. At that time, it was owned by the Montaigu family. Later, it was owned by the Walcourt family and was known as the largest castle in the Famenne region. Not much is known about the castle's history during those times.

It was built on a strategic location, which led to it being besieged several times.

In 1445, a French colonel, Nadonnet, and his soldiers set up headquarters in the castle to aid the Lord of Rochefort, Evrard de la Marck, in his uprising against the Duke of Burgundy. As a result, the bishop of Liège besieged the castle. After several days, Nadonnet was bribed and escorted back to France.

In 1651, during the war between France and Spain, the castle was taken by a Spanish-serving colonel, Latour. In 1653, the castle was twice besieged by French troops without result. The castle was garrisoned by French imperial troops in 1674.

In 1746, the castle was thoroughly rebuilt into a palace for the Count of Rochefort. He found the medieval fortress too old-fashioned and unappealing, so he tore down the medieval keep and added a large esplanade with ten arches, along with a French garden.

At the end of the Ancien Régime, in 1774, the castle was stormed by angry townspeople of Rochefort. It was then owned by the Stolberg family. After the French Revolution, the castle was sold. The new owner couldn't afford its upkeep and began selling building materials, eventually turning the castle into a quarry.

A new Neo-Gothic castle was built on a small part of the original castle's foundations in 1904. Since 1966, the castle ruins have been consolidated, and from 1987, they have been maintained by the "Friends of Rochefort Castle” foundation.

Rochefort Castle is open for guided visits for a small fee, with a small archaeological exhibit. While not very spectacular, it is a nice place to visit if you're in the area. I especially liked the arches under the esplanade with hanging plants.

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