Roktaiad Castle

For more than 700 years, the castle of Roktaiad belongs to one family. There is no information available on the seigneurs who owned Roctiad before the 11th century, except that the name La Mota (or La Mothe ) is found in the archives. Confidently, we can only say that from 1306 until the present day, the castle of Roktaiad is owned by the same surname. Since 1956, it has been open to the general public.

The castle complex consists of two fortified castles , one of which dates from the 11th century, and the second from the 14th century; The fortification belt also dates from the 14th century. The castle was saved from destruction in the 19th century by the French architect and restorer Eugene Viollet-le-Duc , who carried out extensive work on the artistic decoration of the castle and its internal furnishings.

Roktaiad Castle Park has preserved traces of a medieval fortress wall with a barbican , a stream flows in it and there is a 19th-century chalet , as well as a dovecote . The park is part of the Bazassky Ecomuseum.

The area where Roktaiad Castle is located was inhabited by humans in the primitive era . Human settlements were protected by natural grottoes and rocky peaks. This human presence is attested to by numerous silicon hatchets found during archaeological excavations.

The appearance of the castle

The Roktaiad fortification was first mentioned in 778, when Charles the Great , King of the Francs , regrouped his army near Roktiades on the way to the Pyrenees , and built a wooden fortified mott here , which became the first castle of Roktiad. Over time, this structure was modernized - a stone replaced the tree. Roktaiad Castle expanded, new towers, earthen fortifications and other defensive structures appeared, symbolizing the power of his lord. Finally, in 1305, a gate tower was built, which became the only passage between the castle and a village around Castelno that grew up (from Oks . Castel - castle).

New Castle Construction

In 1306, having received the permission of King Edward I of England, French Cardinal Gaillard de Lamotte, nephew of Pope Clement V , began construction of a second castle in Roctayade, called the “New Castle” ( French Le Château Neuf ). This fortress had a square projection, was fortified by six towers and a central dungeon . The fortress was an innovative military building for its era, because it combined defensive power with the requirements of landscaping. Roktaiad, along with other “Clementine chateau” castles in the historical region of Gascony , is one of the first examples of a fortified castle-palace in France.

During the Renaissance , many construction alterations were carried out in Roctaiad. Among other things, window openings were expanded and magnificent fireplaces were installed.

During the French Revolution, the castle was not particularly damaged, only one tower and the top of the donjon were slightly damaged. However, then the building suffered from a lightning strike. By the beginning of the XIX century, the castle was in very poor condition.

Restoration

Around 1860, the Leblanc de Mauvesin family decided to put the building in order. At her invitation, the architect Eugene Viollet-le-Duc took up the work. Together with his student , he spent 10 years doing restoration work on the estate, while updating the castle’s interior decor and its furnishings ^[1] .

In 1967, the Château de Roctailade was granted the protective status of a historical monument, which was subsequently canceled. Later, by decree of October 12, 1976, the ruins of the Old Castle, the chapel and the New Castle were separately classified as a national historical monument . A quarter of a century later, by decree of November 7, 2002, the park around the castle, containing the ruins of a medieval wall, a flowing stream, a 19th century chalet and Krampe dovecote , were also listed as national historical monuments.

On the territory of the Chateau Roktayad, several feature films were filmed, including the Fantomas vs. Scotland Yard and The Brotherhood of the Wolf films.

• July and August: 11:00 - 17:00, daily
• September and October: excursions at 15:00 and 16:00, daily
• November 1 before Easter : excursions at 15:00 and 16:00, on Sundays, public holidays and school holidays (except December 25)
• from Easter to June 30: excursions at 15:00 and 16:00, daily
• Museum: from July 1 to August 31, 15:00 - 19:00, daily

•   Wikimedia Commons has media related to Roktaiad Castle
• Site of the Chateau de Roctailade
• Information about the castle on the Gironde Department of Tourism website (inaccessible link)