QR11 THE PIGEONHOLE AND THE GALLERY HYPOTHESIS
Generally, the tower-house and the house-fort have holes through which the pigeons can reach the nests from inside the house. In the case of the Malavilla, an unusual feature became apparent during the restoration work, namely that most of the holes are actually only accessible from the outside. How to reach them at a height of eight metres? As the restoration work continued, on the outside of the masonry in the two north-facing corners at the level of the wooden floor, it was possible to identify 45° holes, which in all likelihood held brackets for a balcony that joined the two short sides of the fortified house externally. This characteristic explains the problem of access to the pigeon holes, and is also a further confirmation of the defensive function of the building: in fact, by going out the window with the seats it was possible to access the gallery and use it as a patrol to monitor the territory (house in Calestano), and in other European countries (Spain). This type of construction was in fact widespread throughout Europe, a sign of the great importance of the economy linked to pigeon breeding.