Dovecots of South-West of France
The surrounding countryside conceals some treasures of architecture, an heritage of the past (from the Roman period) ...
In the vicinity of the cottage, you will discover some strange buildings in the fields: the old dovecots ; unused now, but protected as an heritage. There are lots of old dovecots in France (and in the world ...), but in the south-west of France they have a special feature, very beautiful and refined. A dovecot was often called a columbarium when it was a separate building.
In the past, the pigeons were obviously used to bring messages, but they had another advantage for their owners: their droppings were a popular fertilizer.
The construction of such dovecots was expensive. They were a mark of wealth. In the south-west of France, they were not a privilege of lords like in the north.
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