THE FRIENDS OF THE CASTLE AND HERITAGE OF VILLEBOIS-LAVALETTE

Situated about twenty kilometres south of Angoulême on the borders of Charente and Périgord, the Château de Villebois Lavalette, a former medieval fortress, stands out in the landscape with its splendid blonde stone walls, set on a rocky outcrop. The fortifications of the 10th century succeeded those erected by the Gauls and then by the Romans. The castle, built near the old Roman road from Saintes to Périgueux on a 102 m hill, dominates a vast undulating plain. The ramparts date back to 1180 with the flanking towers added 20 years later as well as a huge 35-metre long aulic keep, one of the longest known in the West. The site belonged until the end of the 12th century to the de Villebois family. In 1615, the castle was visited by the young King Louis XIII, his young wife Anne of Austria and the regent Marie de Medici. Visit in French and English of the castle and the village all year round. Information at the tourist office. Note, since 2018, the possibility of discovering the castle in an original way, through an escape game "The magic of Puy Sanseau" or an enigmatic investigation "The mystery of the Cornuelle".