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Origin and history

The Château de Rocheplate, located in Aulnay-la-Rivière in the Loiret, finds its origins in the seigneury of the Grèves, integrated into the royal estate at the end of the 10th century. This fortress of Beauce, held by the unruly vassals of the kings of France, was a point of tension with the abbey of Fleury, especially in Yèvres-le-Châtel. Prior to its ruin, it welcomed controversial figures like Gilles de Rais, says Barbe Bleue. The seigneury, ceded by the Pithiviers, was acquired in 1676 by the Colas de Marolles family, who undertook important work and obtained its county erection in 1724 under Louis XV.

The seigneury of the Grèves, destroyed in 1480, gave way to the present castle, remodelled in the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1893 it became the property of the house of La Rochefoucauld after Count Albert Florizel de Drouin, without a direct heir, donated it to Xavier de La Rochefoucauld-Montbel. The latter, close to Albert de Mun, married Marie du Val de Bonneval, descendant of Marshal Suchet. Their daughter Solange, by marrying Prince Paul Murat — descendant of Joachim Murat and Marshal Ney — perpetuated the lineage of the owners.

The castle houses a 13th century Gothic crypt, classified as a Historic Monument in 1973, as well as a chapel designed for Bishop Dupanloup, bishop of Orléans. The park, enriched with rare species introduced by the botanist Duhamel du Monceau, and the crypt are partially open to the public in summer. Among the illustrious visitors are Jacqueline Bouvier (future Jackie Kennedy), received by Prince Louis Murat and his wife Isabelle d'Harcourt. The castle remains a private property, not accessible to the inside visit.

The geography of the site is marked by its proximity to the rivers of the Egg and Rimarde, where the Essonne is formed, in the Paris Basin. The castle, accessible by route 26 of the département, embodies the heritage of noble families linked to the military and political history of France, from the Pithiviers to the Murat, including the La Rochefoucauld and the descendants of Napoleon I.

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