François de SILLY, Duc de la ROCHEGUYON, Damoiseau de Commercy, Grand Louvetier de France, Chevalier du Saint-Esprit (1586- 1628 at the Siege of La Rochelle). Autograph letter signed, 1p in-4°, ESTREPAGNY (Étrepagny (EURE)), October 20, 1623. He gives full authority to Robert Chardin, Clerk of the Baillage of Chaumont, to "make an aviary in such a place as he sees fit" on the lands of his Seigneurie de la Salle du Vans. He left him free to choose the number of boulins (holes in the walls to let the pigeons through). The Pigeonnier or Colombier (dovecote) was one of the privileges of the Seigneurs haut-Justicier, who could grant it to their vassals).

Composed of several subsidiaries, the Drouot Group is a major player in the art market. Hôtel Drouot, located in the heart of Paris, has been the world's largest public auction center since 1852. 15 salerooms are available to more than 70 auction houses. The emulation generated by an annual offer of 230,000 artworks from 21 major specialities - from Antiquity to street art - attracts some 3,000 visitors every day. The Group's digital platform, Drouot.com, offers digital sales - Live auctions (live broadcasting and participation in auctions), Online-only auctions (dematerialised auctions) and Buy Now sales (sales of lots at fixed prices). Nearly 2 million items are offered annually by 600 auction houses. Auction news is reported every week in La Gazette Drouot, the leading weekly magazine for the art market and culture published by Auctionspress.