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Origin and history

The Château de Roquefère, located in Monflanquin in Lot-et-Garonne, was built at the end of a plateau overlooking the Léde. It controlled access routes between Monflanquin, Castillonnès and Villeréal. Mentioned in 1279 as "Roquefera lo repare", its oldest parts, including a square dungeon and a Gothic mansion, date back to the late 13th century. The site was ceded in 1280 by Edward I of England to Jean de Grailly, Senechal of Agenes, marking the beginning of a long possession by the Grailly family, linked to the vicissitudes of the Hundred Years War.

In the 14th century, the castle changed hands several times according to alliances and conflicts. John II of Grailly handed it over to John Chandos, then the estate was disputed for a century between Grailly heirs and usurpers like the Hebrons. After 1470 Jean de Foix-Candale, descendant of the Grailly, recovered Roquefère and handed him over to his daughter Lucrece. The castle then underwent architectural transformations in the 15th and 16th centuries, including the addition of a turret of staircases and door windows, reflecting its adaptation to residential uses.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, Roquefère passed into the hands of Protestant families like the Chaussade, involved in religious wars. Jean de Chaussade, known as "Captain Calonges," made it a Huguenote stronghold before the castle was sold in 1604. In the 18th century, it belonged to the Fournier family of Saint-Amans, then to the Chasserels and to the Danglars by alliance. Ranked as a Historic Monument in 1963, it retains medieval defensive elements (scenes, archeries) and Renaissance facilities, including an 18th century painted ceiling.

The architecture of Roquefère combines a medieval nucleus (donjon, vaulted room) with additions from the 15th–12th centuries (octogonal tower, square doorway). A round tower, transformed into a dovecote of 1,300 cells, illustrates its functional evolution. The site, surrounded by a wall, dominates a strategic landscape, recalling its role in feudal rivalries and Franco-English wars. The modifications of the 17th and 18th centuries, like the room with painted ceilings, testify to its adaptation to aristocratic tastes.

Historical sources stress the importance of Roquefère as a territorial issue. Bertrand de Got (later Pope Clement V) stayed there in 1305, and Jean de Foix-Candale, a prisoner at Castillon (1453), was reinstated there after 1470. The castle was also a slinging base under John II of Rochefort during the Fronde, before being preserved by the king. Its history reflects the political and architectural changes of Aquitaine, from the Plantagenes to the Revolution.

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