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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Posanges dovecote, located in the Gold Coast, is a rectangular building of 8.30 m long and 7 m wide, built in blue limestone bellows. Adjacent to the castle erected between 1437 and 1453 by Guillaume du Bois, lord of Posanges and master of the hotel of Philippe le Bon, he illustrates the symbolic status of the dovecoters in seigneurial domains. Its thick walls (1.10 m) and the absence of openings, apart from two skylights, reflect a utility construction intended to house about 1,140 pigeons, prestige mark for its owner.

Ranked under the title of Historic Monuments since October 5, 1965, the dovecote was restored in 2013, regaining a frame and a covering in lavas (stone limestone typical of Burgundy). Its history is linked to that of the nearby castle, transformed into a farm from the 17th century then into a factory in the 20th century. The 1488 count already mentions barns on the estate, confirming its early agricultural role.

The castle of Posanges, on which the dovecote depends, was one of the first private properties classified in France (27 December 1913), a few days before the founding law on historical monuments. Guillaume du Bois, seigneur berrichon who served Philippe le Bon, established his residence there after acquiring the seigneury in 1437. The site, surrounded by moat fed by the Brenne, combines defensive and symbolic functions, with almost blind courtes and round towers.

The evolution of the estate reflects the Burgundy economic changes: it was closed until 1964, and the castle housed agricultural buildings (stable, house) that had disappeared. The court, liberated from these buildings, now hosts contemporary activities. The dovecote remained an intact vestige of the medieval seigneurial organization, where the right to dovecote was reserved for the nobility.

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