My goodness you do have a photo collection! Such a lovely lot and quite a variety.
And do I understand that you are collecting minature ones too?
I wonder if there is anyone else who has ever done such a collection?
How many mini ones do you have so far?
Fraussie
September 5th, 2012 at 9:48 pm
I’ve added the photo of my mini ones. I had to get Relationnel to take it since I’m in Blois and not Paris! We have three so far. You’ve never noticed them in our kitchen?
Excellent post on pigeonniers. There is a third word here for pigeonnier that you may not have encountered – une fuye or sometimes fuie. This generally signifies a building that was not purpose built for pigeons, but which has been converted. The reason only people of a certain status were allowed to raise pigeons was because you have to divert a staple food (grain) to create a luxury food (squabs, as young pigeons are called). The permitted size of your dovecote was calculated on the amount of arable land you had. I believe the restrictions applied here in the Loire too. In the 19th C many of the existing ones were converted to water towers when the chateaux installed bathrooms and running water on tap.
Fraussie
September 6th, 2012 at 9:51 am
Thank you. No, I didn’t know fuye and fuie. I guess that description would apply to the pigeonnier in Thenay which I initially thought was a tower before I read the tourist blurb. So they were eating the pigeons, I see. It was not just fertilizer.
I stumbled across your blog via your comment on Simon and Susan’s blog whom we are friends with. We stayed in Thenay in 2009 and have since stayed with the owners of the cottage further down the Cher from Montrichard. It was a delightful surprise to see something about Thenay. Did you know there is a book on the nearby larger village of Ponlevoy?
Please pop in to our blog and say hello sometime.
Leon and Sue
Fraussie
September 7th, 2012 at 3:12 pm
Hi Leon, pleased to meet you! We began our ride at Pontlevoy, then went to Monthou via Thenay. I guess you know all that area pretty well. I’ll most certainly call into your blog. We’re off to Australia on Monday, but not going to Melbourne, which I don’t know yet. It’s on the list for next time though because we already have a house swap.
Liz
September 25th, 2012 at 10:48 am
Very interesting reading and great photos, we will look out for these on our travels!
Liz
[…] The beautifully restored pigeon house at Chinon Royal Fortress. It has a special story attached to it but I can’t for the life of me remember what it is! For more pigeon houses in other parts of France, click here. […]
[…] little garden on our way from Onzain to Veuves on Sunday. The windmill actually looks more like a pigeon house from the south of France. The second photo shows the house that belongs to the garden. Note the […]
[…] remember if I done an item on Pigeonneir Houses Pigeon Houses in France | Aussie in France Some are quite elaborate. http://www.aussieinfrance.com/wp-con…eonnier_14.jpg […]
My goodness you do have a photo collection! Such a lovely lot and quite a variety.
And do I understand that you are collecting minature ones too?
I wonder if there is anyone else who has ever done such a collection?
How many mini ones do you have so far?
I’ve added the photo of my mini ones. I had to get Relationnel to take it since I’m in Blois and not Paris! We have three so far. You’ve never noticed them in our kitchen?
Excellent post on pigeonniers. There is a third word here for pigeonnier that you may not have encountered – une fuye or sometimes fuie. This generally signifies a building that was not purpose built for pigeons, but which has been converted. The reason only people of a certain status were allowed to raise pigeons was because you have to divert a staple food (grain) to create a luxury food (squabs, as young pigeons are called). The permitted size of your dovecote was calculated on the amount of arable land you had. I believe the restrictions applied here in the Loire too. In the 19th C many of the existing ones were converted to water towers when the chateaux installed bathrooms and running water on tap.
Thank you. No, I didn’t know fuye and fuie. I guess that description would apply to the pigeonnier in Thenay which I initially thought was a tower before I read the tourist blurb. So they were eating the pigeons, I see. It was not just fertilizer.
My impression is that raising them for food was the primary objective. The guano was a serendipitous by-product.
I stumbled across your blog via your comment on Simon and Susan’s blog whom we are friends with. We stayed in Thenay in 2009 and have since stayed with the owners of the cottage further down the Cher from Montrichard. It was a delightful surprise to see something about Thenay. Did you know there is a book on the nearby larger village of Ponlevoy?
Please pop in to our blog and say hello sometime.
Leon and Sue
Hi Leon, pleased to meet you! We began our ride at Pontlevoy, then went to Monthou via Thenay. I guess you know all that area pretty well. I’ll most certainly call into your blog. We’re off to Australia on Monday, but not going to Melbourne, which I don’t know yet. It’s on the list for next time though because we already have a house swap.
Very interesting reading and great photos, we will look out for these on our travels!
Liz
Enjoy the rest of your trip!
[…] The beautifully restored pigeon house at Chinon Royal Fortress. It has a special story attached to it but I can’t for the life of me remember what it is! For more pigeon houses in other parts of France, click here. […]
[…] countryside is also dotted with pigeon towers (or dovecotes…), where pigeons were once grown for both their meat and their excellent […]
[…] countryside is also dotted with pigeon towers (or dovecotes…), where pigeons were once grown for both their meat and their excellent […]
[…] little garden on our way from Onzain to Veuves on Sunday. The windmill actually looks more like a pigeon house from the south of France. The second photo shows the house that belongs to the garden. Note the […]
[…] remember if I done an item on Pigeonneir Houses Pigeon Houses in France | Aussie in France Some are quite elaborate. http://www.aussieinfrance.com/wp-con…eonnier_14.jpg […]