Château de Rocheplatte

English translation

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History

Underground chambers: 13th century. Castle: 15th century, 17th century, second quarter 18th century. In the 15th century, the fortress which had fallen into English hands, is retaken by the French and completely set on fire. In 1726, the old castle is demolished to permit the construction of the present building on the south face of the feudal square plan at the four corners of which four round towers remain. This plan is surrounded by a water-filled moat and encircled by a cordon of nobility. A fixed bridge descending towards the court of honour is carried by three arches of basket-handle form. The dwelling consists of a rectangular building situated at the back of the courtyard, extended by two return wings. The ground floor presents, in the centre, a triangular Louis XV pediment, supported by two large pilasters. This pediment is surmounted by a pavilion and a Napoleon III dormer. The interior retains a wrought-iron stair ramp of Louis XV period, coming from a Paris townhouse. A drawing room is decorated with Louis XV panelling, as is a large bedroom on the first storey and to the east. A vaulted underground passage, on a plan twice cruciform, is found in the middle of the forecourt. It consists of a central nave divided into five bays on rib vaults, and two transepts, giving a Lorraine cross plan. A well to the south, on the side of the moat, must have served as the original entrance.