CENSUS AND METHODOLOGY OF PALOMARES 1993 VILLAFÁFILA AND OTERO DE SARIEGOS

STUDY INDEX:

INTRODUCTION.

II. OBJECTIVE OF THE WORK.

III. HISTORY.

IV. CONSTRUCTION CHARACTERISTICS (FORMS).

V. CUSTOMS AND BEHAVIOR OF PIGEONS.

SAW. EVOLUTION OF THE PALOMARES AND THEIR CURRENT SITUATION.

VII. AID AND SUBSIDIES.

VIII: FUTURE OF THE PALOMARES.

IX: WORK METHODOLOGY.

X. CONCLUSIONS TO THE DATA OBTAINED.

X.1 DATA CORRESPONDING TO THE TERM OF VILLAFÁFILA

X.2 DATA CORRESPONDING TO THE END OF OTERO DE SARIEGOS.

XI. WHO DOES THE WORK.

XII. THANKS.

XIII: PLANS

INTRODUCTION

In the extensive plains of the cereal steppe of Tierra de Campos, their ancient and picturesque silhouettes lighten on the horizon. Although there are many who have already disappeared, time does not seem to pass for them and every day they stand out more among modern architectures.

These adobe constructions of diverse and typical forms of this area, are easily recognizable by their identity.

The pigeon lofts used to constitute an important source of income for the peasant but from a few decades ago until today they have suffered an accelerated process of abandonment, leaving the majority to collapse. The cause of all this is the low profitability of the pigeons and the need for adobe, a basic element in the construction of traditional lofts, to be periodically repaired. Although they have been rebuilt or reformed in some of their parts, today having a dovecote is having it as a luxury item or as a hobby.

The shape and size of the dovecotes is very varied, predominantly those with a round base; the most used construction material is adobe brick (mud mixed with straw, stepped on and dried in the sun), held together by a thin layer of mud. The external part of the building is covered with rammed earth, (mud mixed with straw and applied wet), inside there are several walls parallel to the edges of the exterior enclosure where the nests or boats for the pigeons are located, which are excavated with a pickaxe on the wall.

II. WORK OBJECTIVES

It is intended to obtain a complete study through a census of the existing pigeon lofts in Villafáfila and Otero de Sariegos, this being a very interesting topic since with time they will disappear and we will be able, at least, to have proof of the existing ones in the year. 1993 (time when this work was done).

 Within this study, in addition to the dovecotes of the two towns, interviews have been carried out with the owners to obtain more information about them, such as the date of construction, the reforms that have been carried out, etc.

In this way we believe that the study is complete, since together with the statistical data that have been obtained, the plans, etc. it is possible to have a global (and also particular) idea of ​​the situation in which the lofts located in the two towns studied are found, and by extension, what is the situation of the rest of the lofts located in Tierra de Campos, since the area studied can be considered as representative of this region of Castilla y León.

III. HISTORY

The origins of the dovecotes are supposed to be remote. In any case, the existence of dovecotes is already known in the Roman Empire.

However, the first dovecotes of which there is evidence in the towns of Villafáfila and Otero de Sariegos, there is evidence are from the documentation of the Ensenada Cadastre in 1752, there were ten dovecotes of wild pigeons.

Possession of a dovecote became a privilege in feudal times, to the point of becoming the subject of legislation, as evidenced by the law of protection of dovecotes of King Henry IV approved in the Cortes of 1465 (S. xv.)

 Later, the dovecote went from being a symbol of lordship and nobility, to constituting a livestock and agricultural activity that was added to those already existing. The breeding of pigeons for food and the use of pigeons as fertilizers became a complementary source of income for the farmer. This situation was maintained until well into the 20th century.

IV. CONSTRUCTION CHARACTERISTICS

The pigeon lofts of Tierra de Campos are characterized by a great architectural richness, backed by a great formal variety, and by endless decorative details (and no less useful for them) that make the pigeon lofts in the area unique constructions of their kind.

The first thing that was taken into account when building a dovecote was its location, outside or inside the town, but always oriented at noon so that the sun would hit it full, essential for pigeons.

 Then came the choice of model to build because the shapes could be many: circular, rectangular, square... a varied typology to choose from according to the preferences of its owner.

Inside there are a thousand details to take care of, especially with regard to the arrangement of the nests. These were arranged on the walls of the dovecote in staggered order, and their construction techniques were varied whether they were made of adobe, unfired clay pots, boards or directly excavated in the rammed earth wall.

The access door had to be well oriented, the same thing happened with the holes for the entry and exit of pigeons.

Everything is designed based on the comfort of the pigeons, including the use of materials, although these are chosen taking into account those that were closest, that is, the clay of our Land of Fields, whether it was adobe or rammed earth, and as an Arabic tile roof.

One of the most interesting peculiarities of the dovecote is the formal richness that is manifested not only on the outside, but in a special way in the interiors, depending on whether or not there is a patio. (As we will see in the later study). This gives rise to a truly amazing variety of topologies, whether they are square and with stepped roofs that lead or not to interior patios (where pigeons can sunbathe without any danger), or they are round with the roof draining water into the interior patio , etc.

On the other hand, there are regulations from the Ministry of Agriculture that specify the required distance between the pigeon lofts and the nearest hunting boundary (at least a thousand meters) and it is obligatory to signal the industrial pigeon lofts duly, at the same distance on the roads, accesses and points more featured.

V. CUSTOMS AND BEHAVIOR OF PIGEONS

The pigeon is a somewhat special bird that requires some care to ensure that its permanence is prolonged in the loft, and I raised its pigeons (vulgarly called pigeons) safely.

It is said that she is naturally very shy, fearful and that she gets scared at the slightest noise she hears. He likes the sun but the humidity, however he needs to bathe; He has a predilection for the color white, which is why many dovecotes are whitewashed inside and even outside.

She is flirtatious, because apparently she likes to look at herself in the mirrors that some place inside the dovecote, especially when there are few in order to make her feel accompanied. He also likes the wild aromas of lavender, thyme or rosemary.

Another aspect to take into account in the habits and behavior of the pigeons is the hygiene and cleanliness of the loft, taking care to often change the water in the drinkers and the containers for bathing (which are inside) cleaning the pigeon, which on the other hand is an excellent fertilizer for crops, and applying disinfectants and other suitable products for deworming pigeons.

 When we talk about domestic pigeons we are referring to wings called "Zuritas" being their balanced diet based on barley, which is usually the ideal food, although it can be nourished with any kind of edible seed.

SAW. EVOLUTION OF THE PALOMARES AND THEIR CURRENT SITUATION

As has already been seen in the history section, pigeon lofts have evolved over time, as has the population in which they are located.

Thus, pigeon breeding, an activity that until recently was a source of additional income for the farmer, has fallen into disuse, among other things because it is a totally unproductive activity; the customs of the population have also changed, and just as before the diet was much less varied, today the diet has changed and so have tastes. In this way, the current situation is reached in which either the owner is very interested in keeping the loft standing, or it ends up in a shapeless pile of mud that ends up disappearing under the farming implements of any tractor.

VII. AID AND SUBSIDIES

The Junta de Castilla y León is currently carrying out a policy of favoring the rehabilitation of constructions with traditional elements of popular architecture; Thus, for a few years, it has granted aid to subsidize lofts in poor condition.

Thus, they consider the beneficiaries of these subsidies to the owners of the constructions, ascending the maximum amount of the same up to 75% of the execution budget.

However, these aids, according to the interviews carried out, have not been used very much in the area since, it seems, the owners have not found enough information about them and those who knew them in greater depth thought that too much had to be done. paperwork to benefit from them.

VII. FUTURE OF THE PALOMARES.

One of the possible alternatives that dovecots would have today so that their future is distant is the breeding and production of pigeons, an activity that may be of interest to many farmers, since the stock pigeons that we have referred to are highly appreciated. in pigeon shooting competitions, and this is one of the purposes that is currently providing the most profitability.

This requires a modernization of the dovecotes and the introduction of some modern techniques, for their breeding and reproduction, which does not prevent the old dovecotes of our province from being used again, true examples of our traditional architecture of this land that in some cases reaches values ​​of great singularity.

It would also be of great help if the official institutions put an interest in their recovery, considering them as true historical monuments of our culture. In this way, the owners would be removed one of the biggest problems that the recovery of the lofts represents for them, and that is the money it costs to reform them, and put them back into use, since subsequent maintenance is considered minor.

IX. WORK METHODOLOGY

The methodology of the work has been carried out in such a way as to obtain the maximum number of data from each of the lofts; In this way, it can be said that two well-differentiated types of data appear. The first, those that are obtained directly from the loft in the field, and the second those that are obtained from the interview with the owner of the loft.

For greater clarity of order, each of the towns has been divided into zones, using the roads that lead from them.

This is how they appear:

Villafáfila: Zone 1: East of the town and limited by the Ctra. de Tapioles and the Ctra. de Villarrín.

Zone 2: Southwest of the town and limited by the Ctra. de la Tabla and the Ctra. de Villarrín.

Zone 3: Northwest of the town and limited by the Ctra. de la Tabla and the Ctra. de Villarrín.

(The term of Otero de Sariegos, being an annex of the Villafáfila City Council, is considered within Zone 1).

(All these data can be seen in the corresponding plans).

Within each of the zones, each loft is assigned a number that appears both on the technical sheets and on the location map. 

Regarding the technical data we have:

* LOCATION OF THE DOVECOTE: Geographical location of the dovecote with respect to the center of town, the area in which it is located and the order number it makes.

* MEASURES AND SHAPE: Dimensions of the loft as well as the shape it has. (In some cases it has been found difficult to measure circular lofts since the diameter is not easy to measure, so in some cases the measurements are approximate).

* STATE OF CONSERVATION: Classification of the lofts in five basic criteria: very good, good, regular, bad and in ruins.

* CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL: Original construction material for the lofts.

* CONDITION OF THE ROOF: Classification of the lofts in five basic criteria: very good, good, regular, bad and in ruins.

* DOOR ORIENTATION: Geographic location of the door with respect to geographic North.

* IN USE (INHABITED): Referred to the presence of pigeons in the loft, that is, if they live in it.

* YEAR OF CONSTRUCTION: This data is difficult to obtain in certain cases, because the loft has changed owners on several occasions, for what is done in many cases it is an approximate figure.

* TYPE OF CROP THAT SURROUNDS THE PALOMAR: Data that varies from year to year but that we wanted to highlight in order to appreciate the predominant crops in the area.

* OWN CHARACTERISTICS: The most characteristic data of the loft appear, and of which many of them are not noticeable in the photographs taken.

* REFORMS CARRIED OUT: Reforms that the owner has carried out in the loft, how he has carried them out and with what materials.

* APPROXIMATE NUMBER OF PATERA: In this section it should be noted that the data obtained is approximate since the owners do not know exactly the number of paffles in their loft.

* EXPLOITATION: YES or no in relation to the owner exploiting it industrially.

* MAINTENANCE: The owner attends the loft or not.

* PROFITABILITY: Whether or not according to the owner, it provides benefits or not.

* FUTURE OF THE DOVECOTE: Intentions of the owner of the loft, leave it in the condition it is in or improve it, or drop it.

* PLATE NUMBER: There are some lofts that have a plate with a number that shows their industrial nature, as this means that at a given time they have been or are registered by the Ministry of Industry.

 With all this data, including the photographs, we believe that it is possible to have a complete vision of the dovecots that appear in the towns of Villafáfila and Otero de Sariegos, (although in some cases, the interview with the owner has been impossible to carry out because they are outside of the area).

It would also have been desirable to be able to study the lofts inside, but the difficulties of finding their owner and having them go to the loft at the time of their study have meant that there was not enough time to carry out the work.

X. CONCLUSIONS FROM THE DATA OBTAINED

X.1. DATA CORRESPONDING TO THE TERM OF VILLAFÁFILA

* TOTAL NUMBER OF PALOMARES 30 (we only count those that are within the old term of Villafáfila, since today it is included in the district of Otero de Sariegos)

* FUTURE OF THE DOVECOMES: 67% of the dovecotes will continue to be conserved; however, the remaining 33% will continue in the current situation, some in ruins, others with some fallen part (which could be rebuilt), others letting them fall, etc. Well, in the opinion of some of the owners, it seems that if there were some type of state subsidy, they would be encouraged to rebuild the loft, but if it does not appear, they will inevitably drop it.

* CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS: The basic construction materials of all the dovecots are mud, adobe, rammed earth and Arabic tiles, data that coincides with the construction material used forever in all the land of Campos.

The problem that this type of material presents is the maintenance that it entails every year, which is why in many of them when carrying out the reforms, instead of doing them in this original material, newer materials such as brick are preferred. cement, Uralita, in some cases stones, etc. They are more durable and require less work. This causes in some cases that the pigeon loft has lost all its original material in its external appearance, but nevertheless it remains inside.

* SHAPES AND CHARACTERISTIC ARCHITECTURES OF THE AREA: As far as shapes are concerned, 53% (16) of the dovecotes remaining in Villafáfila are rectangular in shape, while 47% (14) are circular.

Regarding the architectural characteristics, each dovecote presents details to the builder's liking, since, for example, it can appear from one to four roofs. Another very particular detail is the way of finishing off the top of the roof, since in the same towers of multiple and varied shapes can appear (hexagonal, circular, square, with entrances, without entrances, etc.) being these, in turn, topped or not, with weathervanes, crosses, tiles, balls, etc., appearing these characteristics regardless of the shape of the loft.

Another remarkable feature in some dovecots is that their roof drains into an interior patio, decreasing its height towards this patio. The rainwater is drained from the dovecote through a channel that comes out below the entrance door.

Also noteworthy is the interior layout of the dovecote within which several galleries can appear with excavated boats on both sides of the walls, making the most of the interior aspect. In this way, interior patios can appear where the pigeons sunbathe and are calm.

* REFORMS CARRIED OUT: Of the existing dovecotes in Villafáfila, 66% (19) have been reformed and the rest, 36% (11) have not, which shows that most owners are interested in keeping their dovecote standing. .

What does happen is that although the owner cares about maintaining the loft, he does not put so much interest in maintaining the original material when carrying out the reforms, so on many occasions the traditional aspect of the loft is lost, with more or less materials appearing. less varied.

Analyzing the reforms carried out in the lofts, it has been possible to appreciate that the southern part of them, as it is more exposed to inclement rain and air, needs to be repaired more frequently than the respect of the loft, so the Renovations abound in this area.

* STATE OF CONSERVATION: We can say that half of the lofts in Villafáfila are in poor condition, if not in fair condition, while the rest appear in acceptable condition.

* NUMBER OF PATERAS: Although the number of boats in a dovecote is determined not only by its size, but also by the number of interior galleries that it has, we wanted to find the average number of boats that exist in the dovecotes from Villafáfila, this being a total of approximately 20,300 small boats with an average of 677 small boats/dovecote.

* IN USE (INHABITED): 80% (24) of the cases, the lofts are inhabited by pigeons, while the remaining 20% ​​(6) remain empty (due to poor condition of the loft, bad situation, etc.).

* YEAR OF CONSTRUCTION: 47% (14) of the existing dovecots in the Villafáfila district were built before the 20th century, while the rest 53% (16) appear already distributed, practically all of them, during the first half of the 20th century. .XX.

* EXPLOITATION: Of all the existing lofts in Villafáfila, 67% (20) is exploited, which clearly shows the interest of its owners in the loft, 33% (10) is not exploited.

* PROFITABILITY: Regarding profitability, 80% (24) is not profitable, only 20% (6) of the Villafáfila lofts is profitable, a fact that reflects the interest that the inhabitants have in the lofts put as we have seen in the exploitation data there is 66% of lofts being exploited.

* CROPS SURROUNDING THE PALOMARES: As expected, 90% (27) of the Villafáfila dovecotes are located on land that supports crops characteristic of the area, such as cereals and alfalfa. 10% (3) are distributed in pastures and orchards.

*OTHER FAUNA OF THE PALOMARES: As the different pigeon houses have been visited, it has been observed that in addition to the unconditional pigeons, other animals appear that also use the pigeon house as a refuge. Thus, specimens of Lesser Kestrel, Common Kestrel, Barn Owl, Little Owl, Jackdaw, House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Redstart, Blight, Black Starling, etc. have been seen; and other types of animals such as Hedgehogs, Lizards, Rabbits. Etc.

X.2. DATA CORRESPONDING TO THE END OF OTERO DE SARIEGOS

* TOTAL NUMBER OF PIGEONS: 13.

* FUTURE OF THE DOVECOES: Of all the lofts studied, it has been observed that 77% (10) of the lofts are going to be preserved, while the remaining 21% (3) are going to be dropped, since in this case all the lofts are in ruins and the owners have no interest in them.

* CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS: All the materials used are the traditional ones of the area, clay, adobe, Arabic tile, etc.

* CHARACTERISTIC FORMS AND ARCHITECTURES OF THE AREA: Regarding the shape of the dovecotes, 31% (4) are circular, and 69% are rectangular. The characteristics are the same as those of Villafáfila, when it comes to building them, with their many details, they are made to suit the builder or owner.

* REFORMS CARRIED OUT: Of the lofts located in the Otero de Sariegos area, 84% (11) have been reformed, the remaining 16% (2) have not. This shows the interest of the owners in continuing to preserve the lofts. The material of the reform, in most cases, does not correspond to the original construction material, with more modern ones appearing (brick, cement, etc.).

* STATE OF CONSERVATION: In this aspect, there are more lofts in good condition, 76% (10), than those in poor condition, 24% (3), which corresponds to the number of reforms carried out, which make the lofts are well preserved.

* NUMBER OF PATERAS: As it has been said before, the number of small boats in a dovecote depends on the size and number of interior galleries that it has. The total approximate amount is 8,150 with an average of 627 boats/loft.

* IN USE (INHABITED): In 77% (10) of the lofts are inhabited by pigeons, while 23% (3) are uninhabited due to their poor situation.

* YEAR OF CONSTRUCTION: 31% (4) of the existing lofts in Otero de Sariegos were built before the 20th century, the rest were built during the first half of the 20th century, 69% (9).

* EXPLOITATION: Of all the dovecotes located in the term of Otero de Sariegos, which means that the index of exploitation is not too high. 54% (7) are exploited by their owners, and 46% are not.

* PROFITABILITY: Regarding the benefits of the lofts, only 15% (2) are profitable, while 85% (11) are not, this data reflects the low profitability that the lofts provide to the owners, which that does not make them abandon it, but rather they prefer to continue supporting them even if it costs them money.

*MAINTENANCE: This data is closely related to the exploitation of the lofts since the percentages obtained are similar. This is logical, because the lofts that are maintained are the ones that are exploited. 54% (7) are maintained, and 46% (6) are not.

* CROPS SURROUNDING THE PALOMARES: Most of these dovecots are located in crops characteristic of the area, such as alfalfa cereal and only 38% (5) is distributed in pastures and orchards.

*OTHER FAUNA OF THE PALOMARES: As the different pigeon houses have been visited, it has been observed that in addition to the unconditional pigeons, other animals appear that also use the pigeon house as a refuge. Thus, specimens of Lesser Kestrel, Common Kestrel, Barn Owl, Little Owl, Jackdaw, House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Redstart, Blight, Black Starling, etc. have been seen; and other types of animals such as Hedgehogs, Lizards, Rabbits. Etc.

XI. WHO DOES THE WORK

This work has been carried out in 1993 in the activities developed in the Casa de Oficios "Las Salinas de Villafáfila" in turn within the Rural Tourism workshop, formed by the following students ordered by position of the photo from above from left to right and then below from left to right:

D. Julián del Teso Gómez.

Mr. José Luis Domínguez Martínez.

Ms. Begoña Martín Alonso.

Ms. Mª. Angeles Fidalgo Gutierrez.

Ms. Alicia Gallego Seisdedos (Monitor).

Mr. Santiago Rodríguez Mansilla.

Mr. Javier Fernandez Fernandez.

Mr. Miguel Ángel Martín Ruiz.

Ms. Mª. Del Rocio Carnero Martin.

They created a book of said census that was deposited in the Villafáfila City Council, which has subsequently disappeared.

José Luis Domínguez Martínez photocopied part of the book and preserves with the original field records of Villafáfila and Otero de Sariegos plus their maps. He has reconstructed the most approximate of said work.

XII. THANKS

We thank all the owners for their invaluable collaboration in providing data for the census carried out.

XIII PLANS

Author:

House of Trades "Las Salinas de Villafáfila" Rural Tourism Workshop 1993.

They created a book of said census that was deposited in the Villafáfila City Council, which has subsequently disappeared.

José Luis Domínguez Martínez, participant in the work, photocopied part of the book, preserves the original field records of Villafáfila and Otero de Sariegos, plus their maps. He has reconstructed the most approximate of said work.

Photos:

Emilio Perez Mecia

http://epmencia.blogspot.com

Jose Emilio Yanes Garcia:

Jose Luis Dominguez Martinez.

Transcription and montage:

Jose Luis Dominguez Martinez.

All text, photographs, transcription and montage, their rights belong to their authors, any type of use is prohibited without authorization.