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Origin and history

Châteaubourg Castle, located in the department of Ardèche, has its origins in the 11th century, although the first structures attested date back to the 12th and 13th centuries. Built on a rocky eminence overlooking the Rhone, it has been associated since the 12th century with the lineage of the Clérieux, although documentary evidence is lacking. The first reliable mention dates back to 1186, linked to the family of Clérieux, who stowed directly to King Louis IX during the Crusade. The castle even served as a royal residence after the siege of La Roche-de-Glun, where Rogier II de Clérieux and his men were executed.

In the 14th century, the castle passed into the hands of Aymar V of Poitiers, then of his nephew, before being sold in 1403 to the lord of the Faye, who became the king's chamberlain in 1406. In 1475, Chalencon's family inherited it by covenant. During the Wars of Religion, the castle suffered Huguenot attacks. In the 18th century, he changed hands several times: sold in 1734 to the Count of Montléans (died without heir in 1764), then in 1777 for 50,000 pounds, before being partially bought in 1782 by Jean-Jacques Guyenot. The French Revolution marked a turning point: the village was renamed Rochebourg to erase its feudal past, and the castle, damaged, was estimated at 60,000 francs of repairs in 1821.

The castle housed a lower court with a place of worship, a drawbridge and a prison before the Revolution. In 1973, it was converted into a hotel-restaurant, Châteaubourg Hostel, before being sold. Its architecture reflects the successive changes, from medieval origins to revolutionary degradations, including its role as a seigneurial residence and symbol of local power.

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