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Château de Clairvaux
The Château de Clairvaux is at Scorbé-Clairvaux, in the north of the Vienne. Private property listed as a historic monument in 1929, it is surrounded by moats of running water.
Its oldest buildings date from the early 16th century and are among the first examples of the Renaissance in Poitou. René de Villequier, a favourite of Henry III, acquired the estates in 1580; the seigneury was made a marquisate in 1620 for César d'Aumont. Gilles Fouquet began major works there, including a park attributed to Le Nôtre, which stopped in 1661. The main building seen today dates from the 18th century.
The château houses the International Chess Museum, opened in 1990, which displays a private collection of chess sets from many parts of the world, as well as an exhibition devoted to Henry III.
