Écotay Castle

Écotay Castle, locally known as Château d'Écotay, lies in the hamlet of Vieil-Écotay in the Loire department in France.

The castle's roots reach back to the 12th century, though a noble domain existed since at least the late 11th century. The surviving square keep, 15 m high with four superimposed levels, was built in the 12th century and modified during the 14th–16th centuries. It was constructed on a rocky spur above the confluence of the Cotayet and Charavan streams.

Legend says that one of its first lords was a Scotsman, and that the name Écotay derives from Éscotay. Though an Écotay family was first mentioned in the early 13th century, the castle was actually a property of the Counts of Forez. Ownership passed from the Counts to the Houses of Lavieu in 1324, then to Talaru‑Chalmazel in 1478, and others. By the 15th century, the castle had been gradually abandoned.

In 1842, parts of the enceinte were removed to expand the church on the rock’s eastern side.

Today, Écotay Castle is owned by the municipality of Écotay-l'Olme and freely accessible. A nice small castle ruin.

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