Rochebaron Castle

Rochebaron Castle, locally known as Château de Rochebaron, lies above the village of Bas-en-Basset, in the Haute-Loire department in France.

Rochebaron, perched on a rocky spur near the historic border between Velay and Forez, was first mentioned in 1173. In 1214, Philip Augustus granted ownership of the castle to Robert de Mehun, bishop of Le Puy. From the 13th to the 14th century, Rochebaron was located in a contested zone of influence between the Count of Forez and the Bishop-Count of Le Puy. By 1325, the castle and much of its territory clearly belonged to the Counts of Forez.

In the early 15th century, Érail II, lord of Rochebaron, carried out a major rebuilding project. The current large round tower was probably constructed shortly before 1419, while the ruined triangular tower appears to contain parts of an earlier keep.

Starting from the beginning of the 17th century, Rochebaron Castle was owned by distant lords and was only intermittently inhabited. Only the two towers received minimal maintenance as they were used as prisons. By 1743, it was already described as being in ruins. During the 19th century, extensive demolition work occurred as locals used the castle ruins as a quarry for cheap building materials.

Rochebaron was a large fortified castle composed of several nested enclosures. The outer enclosure formed an elongated rectangle, accessed through a fortified gate flanked by turrets. Inside was the lower courtyard and, on the highest part of the spur, the main castle. The surviving remains include the entrance building, the southern façade of the chapel, the ruined triangular tower, and the large round tower that can be climbed.

Rochebaron Castle is currently open to the public for a fee. It features a small museum and seasonal falconry demonstrations. To reach it, you'll need to walk about 15 minutes up a rather steep road from the nearest parking lot. A very nice castle ruin.

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