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Origin and history

The Château de la Roche-Othon, also known as La Roche, is a 17th century medieval building, located on a rocky spur overlooking the Aumance Valley, 4 km northwest of Hérisson (Allier). Historically, it controlled access to the city through the valley, with defensive vestiges such as a flanking tower and an ancient arased dungeon.

In the Middle Ages, the castle was a strategic fortress, occupied by the English in the 14th century before being redeemed by the Duke of Bourbon around 1362. He then passed into the hands of the families of Villelume, of Biotière (by the marriage of Suzanne Henriette de Villelume in 1696), then of Chambon, before being acquired in 1751 by the Count of Fougières. The building retains Gothic elements, such as polychrome chimneys.

The current structure includes a house body flanked by a pavilion (former dungeon), two common buildings, and an inner courtyard. The north facade, with its frame gallery, dates from the seventeenth century. The castle, partially preserved in its medieval state (meneau bays, crosses), was inscribed in historical monuments in 2010 for its totality, including commons and court floor.

An inscription in the court bears witness to an episode of the Hundred Years War in the 14th century. The vestiges, like the gate of the old enclosure connecting operating buildings, recall its defensive role. The site is mentioned in local works, such as the Bourbonnais Annales (1888) and the Bulletin of the Bourbonnais Emulation Society (1921).

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