La Rochefoucauld (;

Limousin Limousin (; ) is a former administrative region of southwest-central France. Named after the old province of Limousin, the administrative region was founded in 1960. It comprised three departments: Corrèze, Creuse, and Haute-Vienne. On 1 Jan ...

: ''La Ròcha Focaud'') is a former commune in the

Charente Charente (; Saintongese: ''Chérente''; ) is a department in the administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southwestern France. It is named after the river Charente, the most important and longest river in the department, and also the r ...

department in southwestern

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the new commune La Rochefoucauld-en-Angoumois.Arrêté préfectoral
28 September 2018, p. 10 It lies very close to the line which delineated

occupied France The Military Administration in France (; ) was an interim occupation authority established by Nazi Germany during World War II to administer the occupied zone in areas of northern and western France. This so-called ' was established in June 19 ...

and

Vichy France Vichy France (; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was a French rump state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II, established as a result of the French capitulation after the Battle of France, ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Etymology

The village takes its name from the large chateau above the village, which is partially open to the public. It is also still inhabited by the Duke and Duchess. The site was first used around 980 by Fucaldus, younger brother of the Viscount of

Limoges Limoges ( , , ; , locally ) is a city and Communes of France, commune, and the prefecture of the Haute-Vienne Departments of France, department in west-central France. It was the administrative capital of the former Limousin region. Situated o ...

. Fucaldus set up a fortified camp on the rock and called it ''Fucaldus in rupe'', or Foucauld's Rock. The town has always been linked with the House La Rochefoucauld.

Population

Chateau

Early in the 11th century, the son of Fucaldus built a square keep, still identifiable at the heart of the present site. Two entrance towers were built from 1350, with three angle towers following, along with a heightening of the keep, in 1453. Galleries and a grand staircase, the latter attributed to designs by

Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 1452 - 2 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially rested o ...

, were added in 1520. Much of the medieval building was demolished in 1615 when the courtyard was opened out and improvements were made to honour a visit by

Louis XIII of France Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crown. ...

. There was some rebuilding in 1760, following a fire. Following subsidence problems affecting the keep in the 1960s, the building is currently in the midst of restoration, during which time one wing remains a family home and much of the rest is open to the public. Guided tours of the libraries are sometimes available, and there are costumes for children and adults to wear during their exploration of the rest of the public areas, which include several furnished rooms, and some of the foundations within the rock.

Other features

In the village is a

classic car A classic car is typically described as an automobile 25 years or older, although a car's age is not the only requirement it must meet before being considered a "classic." However, a standard criteria for recognizing cars as classics does not ex ...

dealership which is open to the public 365 days of the year and is decorated with motoring memorabilia, functioning essentially as a free-to-enter motor museum. In the Rivieres District, there is a large supermarket, pharmacy, vets, petrol station. In the old part of town is an "Abbey", public toilets and nearby shopping streets. On the outskirts is a small chocolatier factory and shop.

François de La Rochefoucauld, Marquis de Montandre Field marshal (United Kingdom), Field Marshal François de La Rochefoucauld, Marquis de Montandre, also known as Francis de La Rochefoucauld, (September 1672 – 11 August 1739) was a Great Britain, British soldier, who arrived in England as a Hu ...

(1672–1739) * François XII Alexandre Frédéric, duc de La Rochefoucauld-Liancourt (1747–1827), social reformer * François XIII, duc de La Rochefoucauld (1765–1848) *

Frédéric Jérôme de La Rochefoucauld Frédéric Jérôme de La Rochefoucauld (Versailles, 16 July 1701 – Paris, 29 April 1757) was a French Cardinal (Catholic Church), cardinal known as the ''Cardinal de La Rochefoucauld''. Biography Born in a noble family, he was the third o ...

(1701–1757), French cardinal of the Catholic Church, Archbishop of Bourges *

Frédéric Gaëtan, marquis de La Rochefoucauld-Liancourt Frédéric and Frédérick are the French versions of the common male given name Frederick. They may refer to: In artistry: * Frédéric Back, Canadian award-winning animator * Frédéric Bartholdi, French sculptor * Frédéric Bazille, Impress ...

(1779–1863), politician *

Jean-Baptiste Louis Frédéric de La Rochefoucauld de Roye Jean-Baptiste Louis Frédéric de La Rochefoucauld de Roye, Duke of Anville (17 August 1707 – 16 September 1746), Marquis of Roucy, who was made the Duke of Anville by King Louis XV of France and pursued a military career in the French galley ...

(1707–1746), French naval commander * Jean-Dominique de La Rochefoucauld (1931–2011), French screenwriter and television director *

Louis Alexandre de La Rochefoucauld d'Enville Louis may refer to: People * Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name * Louis (surname) * Louis (singer), Serbian singer Other uses * Louis (coin), a French coin * HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy See also * ...

(1743–1792), French aristocrat and politician *

Robert de La Rochefoucauld Comte Robert Guy Jean-Marie de La Rochefoucauld (16 September 1923 – 8 May 2012) was a member of the French Resistance and the Special Operations Executive (SOE) during World War II, and later served as the mayor of Ouzouer-sur-Trézée, a can ...

(1923–2012), French count and special operations executive *

Communes of the Charente department The following is a list of the 359 communes of the Charente department of France on 1 January 2025. The communes cooperate in the following intercommunalities (as of 2025):Former communes of Charente Castles in Nouvelle-Aquitaine Châteaux in Charente Populated places disestablished in 2019