A little history of Jonzac castle
And also
The tops
This big castle on its rocky spur near river Seugne was mentioned for the first time in 1081, with its lord Guillaume de La Rochandry. In 1380, the Sainte-Maure owned Jonzac: they transformed it into a big fortress: besides, the huge small castle dates back to this time (1450). During wars of Religion, Jonzac was besieged by Catholic troops.
Ah, the Sainte-Maure were Protestants... But their Huguenots friends (led by famous poet Agrippa d’Aubigné) turned up in 1570 in order to take the place! In no time at all, the city was literally plundered...
Then came a happy and quiet time: Louis XIV even spent a night in the castle, in 1659. The king, with all the Court, went to Saint-Jean-de-Luz, to marry his wife, Maria-Theresa...
In short! In 1678, Jonzac fell to Pierre d'Esparbès de Lussan: his family stayed here during the Revolution, so the castle wasn’t sold. In 1841, the city owned Jonzac: nowadays it houses the city hall... good news: we can visit it!