page_title: Château de Verteuil
section_title: Religious wars and Bourbon monarchy
hierarchical_section_title: Château de Verteuil / History / Religious wars and Bourbon monarchy
caption_attribution_description: English: The most beautiful chateau in the charente. This building is indexed in the Base Mérimée, a database of architectural heritage maintained by the French Ministry of Culture,&#160;under the reference PA00104534 . беларуская (тарашкевіца)‎&#160;| বাংলা&#160;| brezhoneg&#160;| català&#160;| Deutsch&#160;| Ελληνικά&#160;| English&#160;| Esperanto&#160;| español&#160;| euskara&#160;| suomi&#160;| français&#160;| magyar&#160;| italiano&#160;| 日本語&#160;| македонски&#160;| Nederlands&#160;| português&#160;| português do Brasil&#160;| română&#160;| русский&#160;| sicilianu&#160;| svenska&#160;| українська&#160;| +/−
context_page_description: The Château de Verteuil is a historical building in Charente, France. It dates back to 1080 and has since been extensively rebuilt, although 12th-century walls remain. The château has always been in the property of the La Rochefoucauld family.
  During the Hundred Years' War the château was occupied several times by the English. It was demolished in 1442, but was soon rebuilt using the original stones. In the religious wars of 16th and 17th centuries the château was a base for Huguenot forces, and in 1650 it was partly demolished by royal troops. Another château was erected but it received extensive damage in a fire in 1793 during the French Revolution. The château was renovated in the romantic style after the Bourbon Restoration of 1815, and has been extensively modified since then. During World War II the château housed French troops and refugees from Alsace-Lorraine in 1940 and for several months it was partially occupied by some German units. In 1944 some members of the maquis were hidden there. The château was listed as a monument historique on 31 March 1966, and obtained full protection on 19 November 2010.
context_section_description: François III de La Rochefoucauld (1521–72) became brother-in-law of the Protestant Louis, Prince of Condé (1530–1569), and in 1560 organized a meeting at Verteuil between Condé and the Cardinal Georges d'Armagnac (c. 1501–1585) legate of Pope Pius IV, in an attempt to prevent further conflict. Two years later François III had thrown in his lot with the Protestants. In 1567 the 6th national synod of the Reformed Church of France was held at the château, and the next year it was a rallying point for Huguenot troops that came to the aid of La Rochelle when it was besieged by Catholics. The château was visited by the future king Henry IV of France (1553–1610), Catherine de' Medici (1519–89) and her daughter, Margaret  (1553–1615), Louis XIII of France (1601–43), Anne of Austria (1601–66) and the Queen Mother Marie de' Medici (1575–1642).
  In 1650 François VI, Duc de La Rochefoucauld (1613–1680) gathered more than 2,000 knights whom he led to Bordeaux to help the nobles in the second Fronde revolt.
  Soon after Charles de La Porte, Marshall of France and Duc de la Meilleraye (1602–64) attacked and took the castle with royal troops.
  He destroyed the Orangery and partially demolished the castle. The walls of the north wing were badly damaged, the towers dismantled, the drawbridge removed and the deep ditch that defended the northwest of the castle was partly filled.
  The castle remained habitable, and in 1651 was visited by the Prince de Conti, but he was forced to withdraw by soldiers of the Queen's regiment. They installed a garrison of 150 men at Verteuil.
  François VI was exiled by Louis XIV of France (1638–1715) after the revolt.
  In 1652 François VI returned to the Château de Verteuil, where he spent most of his time until 1659 writing his Mémoires.
  He was restored to favor in 1662 and in 1665 published his Maximes.
  François died in Paris in 1680 but was buried in the Franciscan chapel of Verteuil, which had been founded in 1470 by his ancestor, John, 16th lord of Rochefoucauld and 13th lord of Verteuil. All of John's successors were buried in this chapel until the Reign of Terror began in 1793.
  There were some distinguished visitors during the reign of Louis XV of France (1710–1774). Elisabeth Farnese (1692–1766) the second wife of Philip V of Spain (1683–1746), spent time at Verteuil. The English agronomist Arthur Young in his account of a Journey to France in 1787 gave a detailed and flattering description of Verteuil, praising the agricultural improvements and the life of the population.
caption: View from the park
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