Published 8 / 04 / 2021 Reading time: 3 min
Hello Madame Roustan, you welcome us here at the Château de la Roche… but who are you?
Hello everyone, I am very happy to be here with you. I own the castle of la Roche since October 13, 1900 with Paul-Emile, my husband. After 10 years of work, we can welcome visitors because we are very proud of our home. This beautiful building is our summer residence. My husband and I are originally from Roanne where he runs a printing house. It was while doing photographic scouting for the newspaper "Le Roannais Illustré" that he discovered this castle. From our acquisition, we undertook interior renovation work: painting, woodwork, staircase ... and especially work on the outside since we had this old fortified house transformed into a magnificent medieval castle, as is the fashion in this country. early XXe century.
Who lived here before you? Tell us a bit about the history of the castle?
Different owners have succeeded each other over the years. The castle dates all the same from the XNUMXthe century: it is not nothing! At that time, it was Lord Girard de la Roche who had the building built on this 30-meter rocky outcrop overlooking the Loire. It then served as a monitoring point for the river and a toll point. I also allow myself a confidence… During the visit that I always provide with great pleasure, I sometimes get somewhat disturbed by the former owners….
Tell us more ...
I try to make you discover my magnificent residence and its Belle Epoque atmosphere and it is true that sometimes the former occupants join in the visit! They have character, but they are so nice and have so much to teach us! This surprises visitors but it is also what makes the charm of the place.
How is your life at the castle going?
So of course, our daily life is more rustic in the castle than in our house in Roanne, but we still have electricity. My husband actually had it installed on our rock and even had it deployed to the village of Saint-Priest-La-Roche. Life is therefore rather sweet. I take care of showing the castle, I welcome my friends but I leave the care of the stewardship and the kitchen to my devoted Cesarine. On a few occasions, I leave room for Paul-Emile to visit. In my opinion, he is the finest connoisseur of the place. He carried out a lot of research to restore the building to the identical of its medieval version. For example, he recreated the dungeon in the same place as the old one.
Finally, what is your favorite place in the castle?
Without a doubt, the terrace, on a summer evening, is my preference. The calm, the view of the river, I am charmed by this magical place where time seems to be suspended ...
