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Origin and history

The former tobacco factory Laperche, known as Domaine de Saint-Germain, is an 18th and 19th century architectural complex located in Tonneins. The main house, made of cut stone, is distinguished by its six spans, segmentary arched bays and wrought iron railings. The auxiliary buildings, made of brick, housed the manufacturing, storage and administration activities.

Founded at the beginning of the 18th century, this factory is the heir of a first installation dated 1674, covering Lower Guyenne, Gascony and Béarn. After the Revolution, the merger of Tonneins-Dessus and Tonneins-Dessous, as well as the liberalization of the tobacco trade, allowed the emergence of five new manufacturers. Among them, only the Laperches maintained the quality of the old regime's tobacco.

The name Laperche appears on the map of Belleyme, and the archives mention Alexandre Laperche, merchant and receiver of the district in 1790. The sectional states of the 1821 cadastre confirm the property of the Laperche family in Tonneins. The site, including houses, offices, warehouses and stables, was listed at the Historic Monuments in 2001 for its architectural integrity and its role in local economic history.

The commons attached to the house were used directly for tobacco production, while the latter, built in the 18th century, illustrates the mixture of materials (stone and brick) typical of the industrial constructions of the period. The abolition of the tobacco monopoly in the 19th century marked a turning point, but the Laperche factory continued thanks to its reputation.

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