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Rancogne Castle – Old Tower of Marthon loop from La Rochefoucauld

Rancogne Castle – Old Tower of Marthon loop from La Rochefoucauld

Moderate

riders

Rancogne Castle – Old Tower of Marthon loop from La Rochefoucauld

03:07

73.6km

440m

Road cycling

Moderate road ride. Good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: April 8, 2026

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Your route passes through a protected area

Please check local regulations for:

Parc naturel régional Périgord-Limousin

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727 m

La Rochefoucauld Castle Bridge

Highlight • Castle

Appearing in 1019 with Foucauld, lord of La Roche, the La Rochefoucauld family has long been considered a branch of the Lusignan, due to the similarity of their arms. It seems, in reality, that Foucauld was a close relative of the Viscount of Limoges, descendant of a Grand of the court of Charlemagne. Only four other families in France (including that of the Capetians) can claim such seniority.

The history of the castle is inseparable from the history of the La Rochefoucauld family which, itself, is part of the political life of its time, century after century. The castle of La Rochefoucauld provides a remarkable illustration of the interweaving of politics and architecture through the life of a family which has continuously owned the castle since Fucaldus laid the first fortification around 980. With the history of the La Rochefoucauld family, the use of architecture for social and political purposes finds one of its most spectacular manifestations. This earned it the justified title of “pearl of Angoumois”.

The castle is an anthology of seven centuries of architecture and the home of the La Rochefoucauld family, still present for over a thousand years.

To see: the monumental Renaissance staircase (108 steps!), the boudoir of Marguerite de Valois, the kitchens dug into the karst, the state rooms, guards, the 18th century libraries, the main courtyard and its galleries from the 16th.

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7.04 km

Rancogne Castle

Highlight • Other

The Château de Rancogne, made up of four buildings arranged around a large square courtyard, was built in two stages; the main building dates from the enivrons of 1520, the rest including the keep with a high watchtower, was built around 1588-1589. At that time, we probably built the round tower covered with a pepperbox. The keep appearing isolated, addition of modern arcades to attach it to the main building, at the end of which a round tower looms little protruding. A low waterfall approaches the castle. This residence has been owned by the Desormeaux family since the end of the 18th century ...

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19.2 km

La Couronne Castle

Highlight • Other

Located to the west of the town, this castle has been transformed into a hotel and hosts events.

In 2006, it was the scene of the film "Our happy days" with Jean-Paul Rouve.

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19.9 km

Old Tower of Marthon

Highlight • Monument

free visit

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20.1 km

Château-Neuf of Marthon

Highlight • Other

On leaving Marthon, this castle was commissioned by Hubert de La Rochefoucauld, around 1560, to replace an old fortress burned down during the Hundred Years War.

However, it was not until the 20th century that this construction was restored and completed. It is private property but can be enjoyed from the outside.

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