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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

Bonnefont dovecote, located in the commune of Barran in Occitanie, is a 17th-century agricultural building. This monument, rectangular, rests on stone pillars and has a ground floor opened by four arches of full hanger. These arcs support the upper floor, accessible by a ladder leaning on a mulled band, designed as both a defense against rodents and a decorative capital. The floor, illuminated by a single gridded window, houses an access hatch and a four-water frame, decorated with two ears of varnished terracotta representing pigeons.

The dovecote has been listed in the Historical Monuments since March 22, 1973 for its facades and roofs. Its roof, surrounded by a double genoese with parallel bands, and decorative elements such as the spears, reflect a special care given to aesthetics despite its utility function. The building, though modest, bears witness to the construction techniques and rural architectural concerns of the 17th century in Gascony.

The location of the dovecote, reported as "a priori satisfactory" (note 6/10), is specified by address 5173 Bonnefont, 32350 Barran, in the Gers department. This type of construction, common in the agricultural estates of the time, served both as a food reserve (via pigeon rearing) and as a symbol of social status for landowners. Pigeons were often subject to seigneurial rights, limiting their construction to privileged or village communities under certain conditions.

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