La Rochefoucauld Castle – Lantern of the Dead in Pranzac loop from Brouterie

Mountain biking trails

La Rochefoucauld Castle – Lantern of the Dead in Pranzac loop from Brouterie

Moderate

riders

La Rochefoucauld Castle – Lantern of the Dead in Pranzac loop from Brouterie

03:42

47.3km

440m

Mountain biking

Moderate mountain bike ride. Good fitness required. Advanced riding skills necessary. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: August 19, 2026

Waypoints

Start point

Bus stop

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14.9 km

La Rochefoucauld Castle

Highlight • Castle

Beautiful castle, worth it even without admission.

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16.1 km

La Rochefoucauld Castle Bridge

Highlight • Castle

Appearing in 1019 with Foucauld, lord of La Roche, the La Rochefoucauld family has long been considered a branch of the Lusignan, due to the similarity of their arms. It seems, in reality, that Foucauld was a close relative of the Viscount of Limoges, descendant of a Grand of the court of Charlemagne. Only four other families in France (including that of the Capetians) can claim such seniority.

The history of the castle is inseparable from the history of the La Rochefoucauld family which, itself, is part of the political life of its time, century after century. The castle of La Rochefoucauld provides a remarkable illustration of the interweaving of politics and architecture through the life of a family which has continuously owned the castle since Fucaldus laid the first fortification around 980. With the history of the La Rochefoucauld family, the use of architecture for social and political purposes finds one of its most spectacular manifestations. This earned it the justified title of “pearl of Angoumois”.

The castle is an anthology of seven centuries of architecture and the home of the La Rochefoucauld family, still present for over a thousand years.

To see: the monumental Renaissance staircase (108 steps!), the boudoir of Marguerite de Valois, the kitchens dug into the karst, the state rooms, guards, the 18th century libraries, the main courtyard and its galleries from the 16th.

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42.4 km

Saint-Cybard Church in Pranzac

Highlight • Other

Among the rich heritage of the commune of Pranzac, there is the Saint-Cybard church and its Renaissance chapel whose pendant keystones are of a remarkable finish, listed in the inventory of historical monuments. Begun in the 12th century in the midst of Romanesque art, the church was enlarged in the 16th century, then restored in the 19th and 20th centuries.
An Italian organ found its place in the church in 2011, thanks to the will of the association "Les secrets de Pranzac", it comes to life thanks to the festival "Au gré des arts" organized each year.

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42.7 km

Lantern of the Dead in Pranzac

Highlight • Other

Lantern of the Dead in stone, from the 12th century: classification by decree of July 1, 1905

Cylindrical column resting on four steps and ending in a plain cone, surmounted by a cross. A door opens above the second seat and gives access to the interior of the lantern. A small cornice, projecting from the top of the shaft and adorned with carved stars, separates the column from its ridge pierced with small windows.

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45.9 km