Rehabilitación de tres palomares
Palencia, Spain, 2021
Organizers: Fundación Rehabitar tierra de campos
Objectives: Introduce, raise awareness, and train participants in vernacular restoration techniques for traditional dovecotes built with adobe and rammed earth.
The palomares of Palencia, Spain, are ancient agricultural structures dating back to medieval times. Built with locally sourced materials such as adobe, rammed earth and stone, these iconic buildings served as nesting places for pigeons, whose droppings were prized as valuable fertilizer. Featuring a variety of architectural styles, from simple towers to elaborate multi-story structures, palomares stand today as symbols of rural life and cultural heritage, reflecting centuries of human ingenuity and connection to the land.
The earth used for the restoration of the palomares was simply taken from the demolished earthen walls, remixed with water, and applied to the internal wall. As for the external facades, the previous cement plastering from a prior restoration was completely removed and replaced with a mixture of earth, lime, and sand. Cement plastering on earthen walls can trap humidity inside the wall, making the structure fragile over time. Therefore, it's always preferable to use materials that allow the walls to breathe, such as lime and earth.
video by Artemis Theodorou