Construction of the tower XVe siècle (≈ 1550)
Round tower with mâchicoulis, origin of name.
XVIe siècle
Construction of the Renaissance house
Construction of the Renaissance house XVIe siècle (≈ 1650)
Main building with monumental fireplaces.
XVIIe–XVIIIe siècles
Adding commons and changes
Adding commons and changes XVIIe–XVIIIe siècles (≈ 1850)
Pigeonnier and 18th century gallery.
1993
Registration of communes
Registration of communes 1993 (≈ 1993)
Partial protection by order.
1995
Classification of houses and moats
Classification of houses and moats 1995 (≈ 1995)
Total protection per order.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Building of the communes, located to the west of the house and surrounding the entrance, as well as the dovecote (Case C 356) : inscription by order of 31 December 1993. Logis, a walled tower next to the adjoining building, surrounded by water on which these buildings are located (Box C 356). moat (Case C-770); Court preceding the west (Case C 356): Order of 27 July 1995
Key figures
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Origin and history
The Château de la Tour-de-Ry, located in Coussay, New Aquitaine, is an architectural complex combining several periods. A 15th century tower, originally named after the castle, precedes the construction of the Renaissance house in the 16th century. The latter, surrounded by moat, organizes on a north-south axis, flanked by two round towers to the south and a mâchicoulis tower covered in the north. The commons, dating from the 17th to 18th centuries, closed the west courtyard and included a round pigeon-house. The elevation of the house was modified in the 18th century to add a gallery, now blocked.
The house preserves remarkable elements of the first Renaissance, such as monumental chimneys and pyramid coronation windows, adorned with candelabrations. The fortified door, partially disappeared, bears witness to its defensive past with foothills and traces of turrets in corbellation. Inside, the rooms house murals and chimneys from the 16th and 18th centuries, reflecting the stylistic evolutions of the site. The moat and the land, classified as Historical Monuments in 1995, underline the strategic and symbolic importance of the castle.
The buildings of the communes and the dovecote, registered in 1993, illustrate the typical seigneurial organization of the modern era. The western courtyard, surrounded by these outbuildings, served as a place of passage and representation. The ensemble, though transformed over the centuries, remains a characteristic example of hybrid architecture, combining medieval defense and Renaissance comfort. The accuracy of its location (noted 7/10) makes it possible to appreciate its location in the rural landscape of the Poitou.
