The "palombière" is a traditional construction made in the region Aquitaine since the Middle-Ages. Used for the hunt of ringdoves ("palombes") while they are migrating, their architecture is conceived as camouflage to hide hunters. They can be constructed either as towers or on the ground. There are about 1000 "palombières" left today. If most of them are rudimentary, few can be quite refined, furnished with commodities and technological equipments, like beautiful little second homes.
The University of Bordeaux did a very interesting website about regional shacks, which includes the "palombières" as well other weird specimens :
http://cabanes.u-bordeaux3.fr/index.php?ob=evolution&cab=palombiere1
