Inside a dovecote with one of France's leading specialists

​Yesterday, I enjoyed a fascinating encounter with Michel Lucien, the acknowledged expert on pigeonniers or dovecotes. In the 16th century, France had 42,000 of these buildings, constructed in an astonishing range of styles. There are still around 1,700 of them in my department of the Tarn alone.

​In the Midi, they had nothing to do with racing pigeons or pigeon fanciers. Their main aim was to produce squabs, or baby pigeons, for the table. A modest pigeonnier with 200 nests could produce 60 a week, making the pigeonnier a reliable and valuable source of fresh meat. The babies spent their short lives (around 28 days) in pigeonholes made of wicker, wood or clay. In addition to their culinary attraction, the pigeons' manure was a highly-prized fertiliser used mainly in the vineyards, and for some owners, this was more important than the meat.

​A few days earlier, I had visited Céline Taffarello who owns the Auberge du Poids Public hotel-restaurant in Saint-Félix-Lauragais. Her family has kept roast pigeon on the menu for over 30 years, and it has been eaten in her establishment by President François Mitterrand and Prime Minister Lionel Jospin. No one quite remembers what Tony Blair ate when he booked a table, and I suspect that supermodel Margaux Hemingway ordered something lighter.

​Visit Michel Lucien’s website for more, much better photos than mine..
​Or follow my example and buy one of his wonderfully illustrated books.

​michel lucien

​pigeonniers

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