Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The gulf of Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, located in the department of Vaucluse, is the largest ex-emergence in metropolitan France, with an annual flow of 630 to 700 million cubic metres. This karst source, ranked 5th worldwide, serves as a reference in hydrogeology for "vauclusian sources". Its name comes from the closed valley (Vallis Clausa), a remote topographic area where it flows at the foot of a 230-metre limestone cliff.

The fountain is fed by an underground basin of 1,100 km2, draining the waters of Mount Ventoux, the Vaucluse Mountains, the Albion Plateau and the Lure Mountain. Its water, rich in calcium carbonate (200 mg/l), dissolves 50,000 m3 of limestone annually, leading to a theoretical disappearance of surrounding reliefs in 3.5 million years. The source, the only outlet of this network, feeds the Sorgue River.

From ancient times, the site was a place of ritual offerings. Between 1998 and 2003, archaeological dives conducted by the Société Séléologique de Fontaine-de-Vaucluse (SSFV) and the DRASM revealed 1,600 pieces and objects dated from the 1st century BC to the 5th century. These discoveries, made between 40 and 80 metres deep with the help of the Spelenaute submarine, attest to ancient sacred attendance.

Modern exploration began in 1878 with the first scapandre diving heavy feet (23 meters). In 1989, the Spelenaute robot reached the lowest known point at 315 metres. Despite these advances, the drowned area remains partially mysterious: a mathematical model estimates its permanent reserves at 150 million m3. Since May 2025, access has been prohibited due to the risk of collapse.

Two legends mark the site: that of the Coulobre, a dragon defeated by St.Veran in the fifth century, symbol of the ancient ligures cults of the waters, and that of a nymph guardian of diamonds regulating the flow of the spring. These accounts reflect the mythological and hydrological importance of the place, between exceptional geology and cultural heritage.

Today, the Vaucluse fountain remains an object of study for hydrogeologists and speleologists. Its impluvium, excluding the Luberon and the Bluye mountain, and its flow seven times higher than the drinking water consumption of the department make it a unique natural phenomenon, combining science, history and folklore.

External links