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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

Jourdanis Pigeon is an iconic building located in the city of Auch, Occitanie, specifically in the Gers department. Built in 1774, during the third quarter of the eighteenth century, it is distinguished by its regular octagonal plan, a rare architectural peculiarity for this type of monument. The building, without openings on the ground floor with the exception of a door, houses a wooden staircase leading upstairs through a hatch. Its facades and roofs, adorned with a double genoese and a spear, were inscribed in historical monuments by order of 5 December 1973.

The structure of the dovecote reflects the constructive techniques of the time, with tiled flooring on the floor and skylights decorated with balls. These elements, combined with its neat architecture, suggest a utilitarian and symbolic function, typical of the pigeons of this period, often associated with agricultural or seigneurial domains. The lack of openings on the ground floor could indicate a willingness to protect pigeons from predators or weather.

Filed as a Historic Monument, the Pigeon of Jourdanis illustrates the rural and architectural heritage of the Occitanie region. Its registration in 1973 reflects the recognition of its historical and aesthetic value, while stressing the importance of pigeons in the economy and society of the Ancien Régime. These buildings, often linked to seigneurial privileges, played a key role in the management of agricultural resources and the social hierarchy of the period.

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