Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The château de Clusors, located 1 km northeast of the village of Saint-Menoux (Allier, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes), is located on an ancient castral motte facing the village abbey, symbolizing the opposition between civil and religious power. Built at the end of the 15th century, it initially included a house, a square staircase turret and a enclosure flanked by round towers. These defensive elements reflect its role during the Hundred Years' War (14th-15th centuries), when the site was fortified to resist conflict.

In the 16th century, the castle was described as a castle by Nicolas de Nicolay (1569), preserving medieval remains such as a hall, a wheat attic, a pigeon tree and towers. Major transformations took place later: new openings, interior redevelopment and the addition of a western neo-Gothic wing in the 19th century. The courtyard also houses an arcade house, a partly dated 19th century barn-house, and agricultural buildings organized around a round tower and an attic evoking a strong house.

The site is associated with historical figures such as Pierre Feydeau, Grand Master of Waters and Forests and Lord of Clusors in the 17th century, mentioned in a letter from Madame de Montespan (1693) during his exile away from Louis XIV. Ranked a historic monument in 2012, the castle illustrates the architectural evolution of a Bourbon seigneury, from the Middle Ages to the modern era, while preserving traces of its military and agricultural past.

The protected complex includes the house, the seigneurial enclosure, the arcade house, the dovecote, an isolated round tower and a logis-grenier. These elements testify to the duality of the site: noble residence and exploited estate, reflecting the social and economic organization of Bourbonnais throughout the centuries.

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