Or is it a painting? I'd like to think the former, but the architectural style is unknown to me. If it's real, I would guess it would have been built somewhere in the Balkans or in Eastern Europe. Is it some sort of watchtower? There may be a ?man-made wall behind it, so perhaps its a guard tower within an overgrown fortification. Interesting how the top flares out like that - reminiscent of some old Norwegian and northern European designs for placing toilet holes outside walls...
Addendum: A TinEye search found the image at MontvalentStock, so I think it's real - but no details are given there.
Found amidst a collection of Rapunzel-themed images at Anachronistic Fairytales.
Second Addendum: Proving once again that no question posted here goes unanswered, I'll tip my hat to an anonymous reader and to Ed for solving the mystery. It's a real structure in a modified image. The original is here -
- also from the same MontvalentStock source. In this version the image is labelled "Lavergne dovecote" and filed as "places, exterior." The image at top had been modified re background and flowers and filed as "premade backgrounds."
I find it to be just as interesting without the background. Ed found additional images here and here. At Wikipedia I found the practical explanation for the protruding upper level:
Their location is chosen away from large trees that can house raptors and shielded from prevailing winds and their construction obeys a few safety rules: tight access doors and smooth walls with a protruding band of stones (or other smooth surface) to prohibit the entry of climbing predators (martens, weasels…).You learn something every day.
Sort of. It appears to come from here http://montvalentstock.deviantart.com/art/Lavergne-dovecote-184800770
ReplyDeleteGreat. Tx. Post amended to include your link.
DeleteIs it a folly? People have been building follies for centuries.
ReplyDeleteThis appears to have been created here:
ReplyDeletehttp://montvalentstock.deviantart.com/art/Little-house-in-the-woods-201564193
Your first commenter has the right link: it's a real structure, but the photo you've chanced upon is a composite with a new background. The link in question tells us it's in Lavergne (France) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavergne,_Lot-et-Garonne) and that it's a "dovecote built on the ruins of a medieval surrounding wall."
ReplyDeleteHere's another angle: http://www.communes.com/midi-pyrenees/lot/lavergne_46500/photos.html and another http://www.panoramio.com/photo/17799173
"lavergne pigeonnier" was the trick!
Thank you, Ed. I've amended the post with the additional photo and links.
DeleteNot just a fake background: fake window with flowers and fake interior arch texture.
DeleteStill a cool birdhouse.
I suspect that was built to cache food in a place that would keep it out of reach of most large pests. These sorts of things (though nothing like this) were fairly common in the high north, and are even still in use in area where no electricity is available or where electricity can't be relied upon year round.
ReplyDeleteHere are some pictures of far more rustic varieties: http://goo.gl/DiIuT