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Origin and history

The dovecote of Périgny, located in the Val-de-Marne, is the last vestige of the former castle of the seigneury of Périgny-le-Grand. Attested since 1679, it dates from the second half of the 17th century. This monument, of circular type, is a dovecote on foot, a construction typical of the seigneurial domains of the period. It consists of two levels: a lower room, probably used as a cellar or fruit tree, and a high room dedicated to the breeding of pigeons, equipped with a central pivot, gallows and a rotating ladder to access the bolts.

The castle on which it depended was demolished around the 1760s, but the dovecoier, preserved, still bears witness to the architecture and seigneurial uses of the Great Century. Its registration as a Historic Monument by order of 12 October 1998 underlines its heritage importance. The upper room has retained its original layout, offering a rare example of a functional dovecote of this period.

This type of construction illustrates the symbolic and economic status of the pigeons in the seigneuries: reserved for the aristocracy, they represented a privilege and a source of income. Their presence also marked the rural landscape, affirming the Lord's power over his lands. The dovecote de Périgny, with its intact structure, thus offers concrete insight into the domestic life and social hierarchies of the Ancien Régime in Île-de-France.

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