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Origin and history

The Pigeonier de Caignac, located in the department of Haute-Garonne in the Occitanie region, is a brick building dating from the first half of the sixteenth century. It represents the last architectural vestige of the former command of the Hospitallers of the Order of St John of Jerusalem, whose presence in Caignac has been attested since the twelfth century. This monument, with its built-up roof and ogival arches resting on brick columns, illustrates the importance of the commissions in Lauragais, a historical region known for its agricultural role and pastel production.

The construction of the dovecote is dated between 1513 and 1534 thanks to historical records. At that time, Lauragais, nicknamed the "Pays de Cocagne", was a prosperous region linked to pastel cultivation and considered the "Languedoc wheat attic". Pigeons, often associated with seigneuries or commanderies, served as both a symbol of power and a food reserve, pigeons being a source of meat and fertilizer for agricultural land.

Caignac, a rural municipality with 405 inhabitants in 2023, is part of Toulouse's attraction area. Its historical heritage is marked by this commanding office of the Hospitallers, whose influence extended over the region since the Middle Ages. The dovecote, now inscribed in the Historical Monuments, recalls this medieval history and the importance of religious orders in the territorial and economic organization of Lauragais.

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