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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The castle of Rochambeau, located in Thoré-la-Rochette in the Loir-et-Cher, is a former gentilhommière whose central part dates back to the 16th century. It was thoroughly remodeled in the 18th century by Marshal Rochambeau, who added two square pavilions and roofs to the Mansart. This monument, still owned by the Vimeur de Rochambeau family since the 16th century, is marked by French military history, thanks in particular to the Marshal's engagement during the American War of Independence, including the Battle of Yorktown in 1781.

In the 19th century, the castle underwent new transformations, notably after the collapse of a cliff in 1841, requiring the construction of a neoclassical retaining wall. This wall, flanked by two towers and incorporating a central chapel, was completed by communes. The chapel, built in 1873 by Abbé Briscier – a resigned priest who became an architect and sculptor – adds a religious and artistic dimension to the site. The Abbé Brissier, known for its restorations of tower churches and its works as the statue of the Virgin Mary in Lourdes, also designed the plans of Notre-Dame-de-France in Jerusalem.

The estate includes an alley of two-hundred-year-old lime trees, drawn by Marshal Rochambeau for 2.8 km along the Loir. This aisle, described by Honoré de Balzac in Louis Lambert, served as a place for the students of the Collège des Oratoriens de Vendôme. The castle also houses caves dug in the hillside, some potentially occupied in prehistoric times. Since 1969, the castle has been listed as a historical monument for its facades and roofs, and in 2000 for its chapel and communes.

The Marshal's room, preserved in the state since his death in 1807, bears witness to the historic authenticity of the place. The sump, an old open circular theatre dug into the rock and once planted with vines, illustrates the ingenuity of the landscape of the estate. Today, a private property, the castle of Rochambeau remains a symbol of the vendômois heritage, mixing local history, architecture and literary memory.

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