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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Château des Ecossays is a 15th century castle located in Bresnay, in the department of Allier (region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes). It is rectangular, flanked by an octagonal tower and round towers surrounded by dry moat. Its house, covered with flat tiles, is defended by two round towers and a staircase turret. The preserved medieval elements include the moat, a pigeon house and a Gothic fireplace.

Built in the late 15th century, the castle originally belonged to a lord named Escoussay. In the 17th century, he passed into the hands of bourgeois families such as the Meaulne, including Louis Meaulne, lawyer and controller of the gabelles in Bourbonnais. After several transmissions, Marie Françoise Burand brought it by marriage to Michel Grangier de Boisdechamp in the 18th century. The castle, still privately owned, was listed as a historical monument in 2001.

Major renovations were carried out around 2010, including the construction of a tower, a basin, and reforestation works. Although not open to the public, the site includes 19th-century communes and a fenced park. Its architecture reflects the typical manor houses of Bourbonnais, with modern adaptations preserving its historical character.

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