Gers heritage: from dovecotes to abbeys and châteaux

Dovecotes: a familiar part of the landscape

You can hardly travel far through the Gers without spotting a dovecote in the middle of a field or beside a farm.

Yet they were much more than shelters for birds. Throughout history, dovecotes were signs of wealth and power, while also providing meat and, above all, pigeon droppings — a particularly valuable fertiliser for crops.

After the French Revolution, dovecotes became increasingly common throughout the countryside. Square, round or octagonal, standing on pillars or incorporated into farm buildings, they came in many different forms.

Today, their distinctive shapes remain an integral part of the Gers landscape.

Three châteaux, three very different places

There is no shortage of châteaux in the Gers. Here are three that are different enough to give you a taste for exploring further.

Lavardens combines a hilltop village with an imposing château, now largely devoted to exhibitions and cultural events.

At Flamarens, the château overlooks the village alongside the church of Saint-Saturnin. Part of the church now stands open to the sky after the collapse of its roof and one of its walls, giving the whole site an unexpected character.

Gramont, with its more refined architecture and furnished interiors, offers yet another side of the region’s château heritage.

Flaran: an abbey and an art collection

The former Cistercian abbey of Flaran, near Valence-sur-Baïse, is well worth a visit. Its cloister, church, monastic buildings and gardens take you through several centuries of history.

Since 2004, the abbey has also housed the Simonow Collection, placed there by its owner Michaël Simonow: a remarkable collection of original works by European artists from the 16th to the 21st century. Temporary exhibitions regularly add something new to the visit.

And there is much more to discover

Churches and chapels, market halls, bastides, windmills, wash houses, wayside crosses, old houses and other elements of rural heritage appear all along the way as you travel through the villages.

Sometimes all it takes is a detour to come across somewhere you had never planned to visit. That is part of the appeal of the Gers: the major heritage sites are only part of what you discover along the way.