The Heritage Days invite people to step inside monuments, public buildings, historic sites, and cultural venues that are often off-limits the rest of the year. Guided tours, encounters, and special openings offer a different way to explore the heritage of Paris and the Île-de-France region, up close with the people who help safeguard and pass it on. In 2026, the event is set for the weekend of the 19th to the 20th of September.
In Créteil, this event will offer a chance to shine a light on a monument that is as peculiar as it is discreet. Erected at the end of the 14th century, the dovecote used to belong to a vast lordly manor on Rue des Mèches, owned by Miles Baillet, Treasurer of France. As the last vestige of that estate, it recalls an era when owning a dovecote was a visible mark of wealth and power.
With its cylindrical tower standing about fifteen meters tall, the building was constructed from liais stones and rubble from the old quarries of Créteil. Inside, its tall hall is lined with boulins, those small niches built into the walls to house the pigeons. Access is via a staircase tucked into the very thickness of the masonry: a feature that instantly invites you to study the building from every angle.
The Colombier has also lived through a turbulent history. Moved in the 20th century to secure its future, and later restored by the Société d’histoire et d’archéologie Les Amis de Créteil, it now serves a mission of conserving and passing on the memory of Créteil. The association regularly welcomes visitors to explain the site’s uses, its rescue, and the changes that have carried it to the present day.
A tower among towers, but worth the detour: Créteil’s dovecote!
Guided tour of the monument.
Climbing the few steps of the stair carved into the thick wall, you’ll emerge into the upper chamber, once reserved for doves, and be transported into the Colombier’s past.
Discover the “three lives“ of the Colombier:
- the life of a seigneurial dovecote, from 1375 to the Revolution,
- the life of a farm building, forgotten, threatened, ultimately spared but relocated,
- the life of a classified and restored monument, opening to the 21st century and determined to endure.
This tour has consistently sparked strong reactions and sparked questions among visitors about the modern history of the Colombier: its late classification, the risky relocation, the “choice” of its current site...
The coats of arms of the former lords of the Champ fief will accompany your exit through the lower hall.
Participation terms: Free admission - No charge | No reservation required
Schedule: Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 3:00–3:45 PM, 4:30–5:15 PM
The Round of the Boulins.
Entrance through the lower room and introduction to La ronde des boulins (montage duration: 30 minutes)
La ronde des boulins: a montage that brings to life not only the rural building but its successive owners, the transformations across the ages, and a quirky adventure that keeps unfolding …
After the montage, visitors will be able to go up to the upper room and easily spot the referenced details (including the boulins …), then gently descend via the secret staircase.
Participation guidelines: Free admission - No reservation required
Schedule: Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 3:45 PM to 4:15 PM, 5:15 PM to 6:00 PM
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