The first written mention of the Château de Roche is in the Chronicles of Saint-Bénigne, written in Latin in the 10th century: “On the Loue, a torrential river in a place called Roche, by or pass the path followed once to go to Rome, and which is located near the village of Salins, the free inhabitants of the place, under the patronage of St Bénigne... ”.

Arc-et-Senans was known as Petregium (Roche-sur-Loue), cited in the Chronicle by Saint-Benignus. It was Arcum in 1049, Sonans in 1275, Cenans et Arc en Valoye in 1490, and Arc en Vallois in 1681. Traces of occupation dating back to the Roman era have been found, especially at a place called “Le Cretot”. Father Letondal in his book Arc-et-Senans through the ages, published in 1927, tells the complete communal history.

Reference to the Château de Roche can be found in the many old documents, using a number of different spellings – Roueschein Valhouais, and then Roche en Valois, which both correspond to "Roche en val de Loue".

The ancient, fortified castle consisted of a large tower located on the site of the current entrance gate, with two large courtyards. It was surrounded on three sides by ditches and perimeter walls (the one is still visible), with the Loue forming the fourth barrier. The forest came right to the base of the ramparts.

This was before the existence of Arc-et-Senans, and Arc-en-Valloye (Val de Loue) and Sonans belonged to the lords of the Salins, vassals of the county of Burgundy. The Château de Roche secured the east, and Château Rouillaud - destroyed by fire in 1638 - the west.

900’s The Château de Roche was built sometime during the 10th century. The original building was a fortified castle situated between an important road and the river Loue – two vital transportation links.

1080 Étiennette, Countess of Burgundy (wife of Count William of Burgundy and mother of Pope Callistus II). From the 11th century onwards there are frequent references to “de Roche” in regional acts, and the Château de Roche was a strategic position of defense for William the Great.

1240 Jean de Chalon, Count of Chalon, Count of Auxonne, Lord of Salins and regent of the county of Burgundy. Known as the Sage who – from his stronghold of Salins – extended his power to Besançon, Dôle, Pontarlier and Switzerland.

1266 Guy de Rans, brother of Hugues de Rans, receives the seigneury of Roche en Valouais (CdR) either from his powerful father Richard III de Chay, or from his brother Hugues.

1280 Jean de Rans, Guy de Roche's nephew (perhaps after the death of his uncle).

1292 André de Roche - following successive marriages, he joined the Poupet family.

1326 Catherine de Roche marries Matthieu de Darbonnay.

1350 Poinçard II, still known as "Lord of Rans", but also Lord of Poupet. He had two daughters. The Château de Roche remained in their property through marriages, sales and successions.

1537 Jean de Poupet becomes Lord of Roche and on his death his brother, Guillaume de Poupet, abbot of Baume.

1584 Shortly after the death of Guillaume de Poupet in 1583 (abbot of La Baume) CdR passed to Andremont de Pracontal.

1638 Chateau Rouillaud destroyed in a fire. 

1664 Ferdinand de Rye, Marquis de Varambon and governor of Burgundy.

1667 Brothers Philippe Félicien and Claude Ferdinand de Brun. The seigneury was sold by decree and acquired by the de Brun family who modernizes the Château and retains ownership of the land until the time of construction of the Saline de Chaux.

1694 The de Brun family obtained the title of Marquisate, rents out the seigneury to outsiders. 

1756 Marquis de Grammont (heir to de Brun) had the Château completely rebuilt between two square towers, with an imperial roof on the original fortress. Some of the old fortifications were kept. It was meant to be his residence with terraces, a vegetable garden and fruit trees. The old ditches around the castle were filled in to develop the terraces, vegetable garden, and fruit orchard. Lime, chestnut and plane trees were planted along the roads, and boxed orange trees embellished the facade and were returned in winter to the orangery of the castle, as was the fashion in Versailles. A fountain with waterjet was fed through an underground channel from a source in the forest, and it was also used to water the newly created gardens. The family owned the Royal Estate of Arc-et-Senans from 1779 to 1783 during the construction of the Saline by Claude-Nicolas Ledoux.

1775 The neighboring Royal Saltworks of Arc-et-Senans was built during the reign of Louis XV – the first large-scale realisation of industrial architecture that reflects the progressive ideals of the Age of Enlightenment. As there is no salt in the basement of the village, it was the immense resource of the surrounding forest – wood required for heating – which determined the choice of location. The first salt was produced in 1779. The buildings were the work of Claude-Nicolas Ledoux.

1779 Baron de Lannans, the heir of Grammont, owned the land on which Claude Nicolas Ledoux wanted to build the Saline. He demanded that the Royal Court buy it from him, and also included the chateau and many other properties as part of the transaction. The Royal Court quickly resold the Château and all the lands that the Saline had not retained for its own use.

1783 The families of Jouffroy, Renouard de Bussière (Marquisat de Roche) and Bovet.

1864 Amédée Caron transformed the Château once again and establishes an industrial activity in the area that his son René pursued. There were logging operations, a sawmill, carpentry from 1917, a diary where butter was produced, a pigsty, and transport and maintenance services. At one point more than a hundred inhabitants of Arc-et-Senans and the surrounding area were at employed at the Château.

1870 The castle was requisitioned for the staff of the Prussian general von Mantoffel during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71.

1930 René Caron dies on 26 October at the Château de Roche (1861-1930).

1940/42 Several companies of German soldiers occupied the castle and its terraces during the Second World War. Arc et Senans served as a transit and internment point for 200 gypsies.

1972 (?) Fondation Claude Nicolas Ledoux, a foundation created by a group of intellectuals to look after the Saline Royale but also an international centre for reflection upon the future. It had the support of some of the biggest French companies and operated as a kind of French “Palo Alto”, hosting some of the greatest scientific conferences during the 70s and the 80s.

1974 The Château is listed as historical monument (Facades and roofs, as well as the terrace with its 18th century wall).

1988 Esther Elisabeth Greiner, widow of Robert Gugelmann, and Florence Greiner.

2006 Reto Erdin, Swiss notary and banker.

2015 Van Eeden Family.