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Origin and history

The house of Rochebertier, located in Vilhonneur (comune of Moulins-sur-Tardoire, Charente), is mentioned as early as 1276 in an admission by Robert V from Montbron to Philippe le Hardi under the name refigurium seu reparium de Rochanbertia. This medieval site, integrated with a network of fortresses along the Tardoire Valley, was originally built on the left bank, near limestone cliffs housing sheltered caves. In 1363, Robert de Matha, guardian of Jacques de Montbron, paid tribute to the Black Prince for the fortress of Rochebertier, reflecting his strategic role during the Hundred Years War.

In the Renaissance, the Renouard family, including Jean Renouard (squire and seigneur of Pranzac in 1520), rebuilt the house on the right bank to make it more luminous, while retaining defensive elements: thick walls, towers to murder, and breeches. The estate then passed to the Protestant families Lériget, of Chièvres, then Pasquet in the 17th century. In 1700, Louis de Pasquet married Anne de Bernon, who came from a rock line involved in the triangular trade. Their descendants, the Corgnol, retained Rochebertier until the end of the 19th century, despite the emigration of their heir during the Revolution.

The current architecture, inscribed at the Historic Monuments in 1986, combines a house in L with a central round tower housing a staircase with screws, traces of fortifications (murder, scallop), and a Renaissance lintel decorated with coat of arms. The facades, seen in the 18th century, are accompanied by commons and a Charentais portal. Missing remains, reported in the 19th century near the Grotto du Placard, evoke an older occupation in height. The site thus illustrates the evolution of a medieval seigneury in Renaissance residence, marked by family alliances and architectural adaptations.

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