Château de La Clayette, Medieval castle in La Clayette, France

Château de La Clayette stands on an irregular rectangular platform ringed by water, with its outbuildings in two parallel ranges, each with an overhanging corner turret. A square tower with a stair turret rises at the centre of the north building, while the south building is flanked by the round Tour de Paray. The eastern enceinte, the newest part, joins a rectangular corps de logis to a large square tower, and an 18th-century wing and pavilion return at right angles.

Philibert de Lespinasse built the first fortress in 1380 during the Hundred Years' War, converting a fortified residence into a defensive stronghold. The structure evolved over the following centuries, with additions like an eighteenth-century gate that reinforced its architectural layers.

The chapel inside still shows its original wall decorations, giving visitors a sense of how faith was part of daily life in the castle. People who lived and worked here would have gathered in this small sacred space for their prayers.

The castle is private and not open to the public; only the exteriors and outbuildings can be seen, on guided tours run by the Office de Tourisme du Sud Brionnais covering the park, the cour d'honneur, the stables, the orangerie, the medieval kitchens and the tour de Paray. The moat is fed by a 30-hectare pond, and a causeway along the facades links the castle to a fortified gate pierced by a carriage doorway.

The chapel, dedicated to Saint John the Evangelist and Saint Stephen, has a vault painted with a concert of angel musicians playing harp, psaltery, lute, organ, triangle, bagpipe and trumpets. It was classified as a monument historique in 1950, separately from the rest of the castle.