En un regard
Le château en bref
The Donjon de la Toque (Toque keep) is, together with its enclosure, the last remnant of the castle of Huriel, in the Allier department. This seigneurial tower was built between the late 11th century and the late 12th century by the Humbaud family, before its upper parts were remodelled in the 13th century; mullioned windows and fireplaces were added in the 16th century to improve its comfort. A typical example of a Romanesque keep, it has a rectangular, buttressed plan, rises to 33 metres and has five levels reached from a vaulted cellar; two of the four original round towers survive. The lordship passed successively to the house of Déols, to the Brosse family from 1265, to Jean de Bourgogne in 1478, then to the Hurault, Chaumejean and Le Lièvre de La Grange families, before falling to the Jehannot de Bartillat family from 1673. The keep became the property of the commune of Huriel in 1879. It was listed (classé) as a historic monument by order of 28 December 1886, the protection covering the keep and the remains of its enclosure. A major restoration campaign was completed in 2023. The building now houses a museum devoted to the history of the lords of Huriel and to the local winegrowing past.
