ight now, there are about 6000 dovecotes in Lot-et-Garonne. Dovecotes are linked to the cereal farming (Normandy, Guyenne, Gascony, Provence) and used to be a sign or richness and prosperity. During the revolution many were destroyed or abandoned. For a long time, only nobles and rich owners with enough land to feed these voracious birds were allowed to have a dovecote. Some farmers built their dovecote right by the limit of their property, so that the pigeons would go and feed at the neighbours'. The feudal right was abolished during the revolution. It already did not exist any longer in Moyenne Garonne; everybody was allowed to breed pigeons (as long as they remained in a dovecote or an aviary). With the development of chemical fertilizers, all these beautiful buildings which contribute to the beauty of our countryside, were no longer maintained and often went to rack and ruin.

he typical dovecote is built on piles and is called "fuie" or "hune". The 4-pitch roof is covered with flat tiles. There is also the "pied de mulet" (mule foot) with a single-pitch roof: the birds fly off from a dormer located on the roof or from the top (through a small dormer also used for ventilation).

Detached towers			Towers attached to the house

he towers are of specific shapes, either round, square or diverse. In Puymirol, there are no round towers. Among the 25 known dovecotes, there are 18 detached towers, including 9 "pieds de mulet".




o see the dovecotes of Puymirol, click on the selected area.