History
La Roche is believed to have first been settled in the Neolithic era. There is an Celtic archaeological site dating between 850 and 520 BC.The Romans built a fort there following their conquest of Gaul and the Ardennes.
The town's medieval castle was in use between the 9th and 18th centuries. It provided protection to the many barges that plied their trade along the local river systems. In 1331, permission to build city walls was given by John the Blind, King of Bohemia and Poland and a Count of Luxembourg.
In World War II, the town suffered severe damage. Having been liberated by the Allies in September 1944, the town was recaptured by the Germans in December, during the Battle of the Bulge. The subsequent Allied bombing raids resulted in the town being liberated once more in January 1945, but left much of the town destroyed, and 116 residents dead. There is an American Sherman M4A1 tank and a British Achilles SP17 displayed as monuments to the town's liberation.
There are three main archaeological sites:
- Le Cheslé de Bérismenil, a Celtic refuge
- le Cheslin d'Ortho,a Roman refuge
- Château de La Roche-en-Ardenne
Read more about this topic: La Roche-en-Ardenne
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