Castle of Villebois-Lavalette

The castle of Villebois is located in Charente on the commune of Villebois-Lavalette. The strengthened hill of Villebois is dominated by the ruins of a feudal castle and a wing of an imposing building of the 17th century.

History

To the 13th century Villebois passes to Lusignan, counts of Angouleme who raise the current walls with their seven turns. Victim of several seats during the Guerre One hundred Year old Villebois is taken again with English in 1376 by the Duc of Berry, brother of Charles V.

During the wars of religion Villebois is mainly destroyed.

The lords de Mareuil appear among the successive owners. In 1590 the Duc of Épernon made the seat of the castle or from the members of a league had cut off themselves. This ground was set up in duchy and peerage, the duchy of Lavalette, from where the name of Villebois-Lavalette.

The young person Louis XIII remained there with his new wife Anne of Austria, invited by the duke of Epernon. It arrived on December 28th, 1615 by the way of the peaks.

In 1662 the duke of Navailles far away from the court by Louis XIV withdrew himself in Villebois. He made shave the old fortress and built the castle of which there remains only the northern wing.

Structure

There remains the Chapelle of the old castle of the 12th siècle.
Of the manor house and Gallo-Roman villa who had preceded it, one did not find yet of trace.

The duke of Navailles in 1665 had made shave the fortress founded at the 11th century; he preserved only the enclosure dating from Lusignan to rebuild the castle. After a fire the December 10th 1822 which destroyed the right wing, it remains only the left wing of this castle.

This left wing is inhabited by the owner.

Since 1980, the association of the friends of castle of Villebois-Lavalette organizes building sites. The wall finds little by little its aspect of the 13th century with the crénaux ones of the western frontage, the roof of one of the turns, as well as other restorations.

References

Castles manors home, Charente , editions Inheritances and media 1993, ISBN 2.910137.05.8

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