Timeline

Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The tithe barn of Dammaria-en-Puisaye, built in the 16th century, is part of a seigneurial complex whose history dates back to the late 6th century. The fief initially depended on the bishops of Auxerre until the twelfth century, before passing under the mobility of the lords of Feins in the thirteenth century, then of the Counts of Sancerre in the fourteenth century. This monument, inscribed in the Historical Monuments in 1987, illustrates rural architecture linked to the collection of tithes, ecclesiastical tax in nature.

The barn, built of cut stone, flint kidneys and honeycombs, consists of an oak ground floor, a cellar, a basement and a floor covered with a two-punished frame. It forms part of a wider castral complex, including a polygonal fortified enclosure, flanking towers, and a 13th century castral chapel transformed into a parish church in the 19th century. The site, restored after a fire in 1940, bears witness to architectural and functional changes in seigneurial buildings.

Between 1737 and 1838, the estate belonged to the Briare Canal Company, reflecting its economic role in the region. Successive restorations (notably in 1872 and from 1970) have preserved this heritage, where the tithe barn embodies the link between seigneurial power, agricultural activity and local religious history. His registration as a Historic Monument in 1987 consecrated his heritage value.

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