VILLEBOIS-LAVALETTE
The very first castle was erected in 959 when the Lords of Villebois built a wooden tower on an artificial hill : a motte and bailey castle. Then, the first stone castle was built there in the course of the 12th century and modified several times until the 16th century.
Villebois-Lavalette Castle stands as an impressive fortress with ramparts dominating a large valley in South East Charente. Many Lords inhabitated this castle. Among these noble figures, the Lusigan family, Counts of Angoulême, built the current ramparts with seven watchtowers. This occured in the middle of the XIII century.
In the XVII century, Jean-Louis Nogaret de la Valette, Duke of Epernon, bought the castle and in 1622 the surrounding land of Villebois was given his name : Lavalette.
Starting in 1667, Philippe de Montault de Bénac renovated the castle as it stands today. He added to it a garden and made this palce his residential home. Today the castle hosts cultural events.
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