Château de Toisy

English translation

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History

The château was purchased by Lavoisier who conducted several chemistry experiments there, and notably tobacco drying. For this purpose, he is said to have had the corner tower (disused dovecote) fitted out. Of a building from the end of the 15th century, only the roof-space floor windows remain on the exterior; on the interior, a spiral staircase embedded in the masonry at the time of later alterations. The whole was remodelled in the 19th century. The château, which preserves moats to the west that were rearranged at the end of the 18th century, was originally to be ringed by a complete defensive system comprising several corner towers. There remains today one large tower crowned with a machicolated parapet walk, arrow slits, and small rectangular openings forming crenellations. It was probably in the late Middle Ages that the tower was converted into a dovecote, with more than 2000 brick nesting boxes. At the end of the 18th century, Lavoisier had the lower boxes plastered to a height of two metres to install a laboratory.