THE PIGEON LOFT AND THE BALCONY HYPOTHESIS
ITA
ENG
Generally, tower houses and fortified houses have holes for pigeons to pass through, allowing people to collect their eggs from inside the house. In the case of Malavilla, during the restoration work, an unusual feature was discovered: most of the holes are actually only accessible from the outside. How can they be reached at a height of eight meters?
As restoration work continued, holes at a 45-degree angle were discovered on the outside of the wall, in the north-west corner at the level of the wooden floor. These holes most likely supported corbels for a balcony. This feature explains the problem of access to the pigeon holes and also provides further confirmation of the building's defensive function: in fact, by exiting the windows with seats on the first and second floors, it was possible to access part of the balcony and use it as a patrol to monitor the territory.
This is, of course, a hypothesis, but it is plausible and confirmed by comparison with other examples of a similar type, both in the area (a house in the center of Calestano) and in other culturally similar European countries (Spain, France). This type of construction was widespread throughout Europe, a sign of the great importance of the pigeon breeding economy.
This element has been reproduced in the restoration, albeit in a stylized, partial manner and without attempting to recreate conditions that are now lost, but only to help interpret what we would most likely have seen six centuries ago.