House of La Rochefoucauld
French noble family
The House of La Rochefoucauld is an ancient family of French nobility. Its earliest origins date back to the 10th century, in the area of what is now the village of La Rochefoucauld, 400 kilometres (250 mi) southwest by south of Paris. The family's lineage begins with Foucauld I of La Roche (973–1047), the first Lord of La Roche, later known as La Rochefoucauld (Roche + Foucauld). He was possibly the son of Adémar of La Roche, also known as Amaury or Esmerin (circa 952 – before 1037), Lord of La Roche. Over the centuries, the family rose in prominence, earning numerous titles and distinctions.
Overview of titles and roles
In April 1622, Louis XIII elevated the County (comté) of La Rochefoucauld to a Duchy and Peerage by Letters Patent issued at Niort (registered 4 September 1631). This act formally raised François V of La Rochefoucauld (1588–1650) from Count to the inaugural Duke of La Rochefoucauld, as well as to the status of Peer of France.
Upon its elevation in 1622, the Duchy of La Rochefoucauld became united with the lordships of Verteuil, Daunart, Joussaume, Vivier, Montignac, Touriers, Celfroin, Saint Clos, La Mothe, and Saint-Angeau. Later, in 1732, the Duchy was further united with the lordships of Marcillac, Anville, Génac, and Ambérac. However, in 1765, these additions were separated from the Duchy.
The public source identifies “House of La Rochefoucauld” as french noble family. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around House, Rochefoucauld and French.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “House of La Rochefoucauld”, the useful work is to connect “french noble family” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 25, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1513044. VIAF identifies the subject as 45160136. 1 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1047, 1037, 1622 and 1631.
A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “House of La Rochefoucauld”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow House of La Rochefoucauld primary sources, House of La Rochefoucauld archive and House research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “House of La Rochefoucauld”?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “House of La Rochefoucauld” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.