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Origin and history

Clayes-Palys Castle, located in the town of Clayes in Ille-et-Vilaine (Bretagne), is a building built between 1750 and 1765 on the site of a primitive manor house with some remains in the communes. It originally belonged to Madeleine Nicolas de Clayes and her husband François Marie de la Bourdonnaye, before passing to their granddaughter, the Viscountess of Allonville, in the early 19th century. The castle, with a rectangular plan with a raised ground floor and a floor, incorporates notable architectural elements such as a wrought iron ramp staircase and side pavilions redesigned in the 19th century. A sculpture by Falconet, the victorious Love (commanded by Louis XV for Mme de Pompadour), adorns the vestibule, while the park houses carved elements from the former parish church of Saint-Coulomb.

In the 19th century, the estate underwent several transformations under the Palys family, owner since the 2nd quarter of the century. The commons are profoundly altered: destruction of the gate farm, dovecotes, and orangery, while new buildings (buyery, small farm) are erected. At the beginning of the 20th century, the house was enlarged north side to accommodate a new kitchen. The castle, which has been listed as a historical monument since 1965, preserves watercolored drawings from the early 19th century, a precious testimony to its architectural evolution.

The seigneury of Clayes was attested as early as 1266, shared between the monks of the Abbey of Saint-Mélaine and the heirs of Raoul de Clays. The primitive mansion, replaced by the current building, gives way to a residence reflecting the classical taste of the eighteenth century, while integrating medieval heritages. The moats bordering the courtyard and the remains of the commons recall this historical stratification, between local nobility, agricultural transformations, and artistic heritage (royal sculptures, re-used religious elements).

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