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Key figures

Origin and history

The Castle of Rancogne, located in Charente 20 km from Angoulême, finds its origins in the 9th century with the ancient castle of Cressiec, built to defend underground shelters against the Vikings. According to historians Vigier de la Pile and Michon, this first building, now reduced to the tower of Cressiec, was strategic: perched on a cliff side near the church and caves, it controlled access to a network of cavities used as shelter by the local population. The semicircular tower, 10 metres high, had thick walls and an interior staircase, reflecting its defensive role.

In the Renaissance around 1519, Jean Maindron (or Mandron), seigneur of Cressiec, and his wife Marie Raymond built the modern, more spacious and bright house on a platform overlooking the Tardoire. The materials of the old castle are reused, and the rectangular dungeon (dated 1569) and the cellar (1589) complete the whole. The estate then passed to Les Devezeau through the marriage of Jeanne Maindron with Jean de Devezeau in 1548, then remained in this family until 1797, the date of his transfer to Jean-Baptiste Binet. Maintenance work continued under the Barbarin (four generations), then under the Desormeaux from 1898.

The architecture of the castle mixes defensive and residential elements: a quadrilateral flanked by round towers, a dungeon surmounted by a scauguette, and a rare 16th century wooden gallery, typical of Angoumois. The round run reminds us of the status of high justice of the lords. In the 20th century, major restorations (deletion of the crepi, release of the dungeon) preserved its character. Despite its rich history, the castle, a private property, is neither listed nor listed for historical monuments in 2018, and does not visit.

The tower of Cressiec, a 9th century vestige, illustrates the adaptation of medieval fortifications to the karst reliefs of the region. Its three floors, accessible by ladders, and its walls in retreat every three meters reflect the techniques of defense against Viking raids. Combined with a network of caves and undergrounds connecting the church, it symbolizes the community organization around the fortified points, characteristic of the Tardoire valley between Montbron and La Rochefoucauld.

The Castle of Rancogne thus embodies two key periods: the defensive Middle Ages (IXth–Xth centuries), marked by invasions and troglodytic refuges, and the residential Renaissance (XVIth century), where the lords favor comfort and openness over the landscape. Its history combines feudal conflicts (like the death of Emenon, Count of Angoulême, in 866), architectural heritages, and successive adaptations to the needs of local noble families.

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