Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Vernas fountain, built in limestone, is distinguished by its four-sided structure and its two semicircular basins to the east and west. Its pump mechanism, hidden behind an oak door, includes taps and a cast iron balance. With a pyramid pinacle topped by a stone ball, it combines utility and aesthetics. This monument, erected in 1823, replaces the old well of the Augustins, after their convent, acquired by the commune during the Revolution, was transformed into the Court of the Nation.

The contract for its construction was signed on May 15, 1823 between Henry Roux, director of the Compagnie des forges et smelters de l'Isère et de la Loire, and the municipal council. That same year, Gaufroy, a local ironmaker, installed the pump. This fountain, classified as Historical Monument by decree of 31 December 1980, bears witness to the engineering and crafts of the early nineteenth century, while symbolizing the reappropriation of religious spaces by the post-revolutionary communes.

Originally located in the present Place de la Nation in Crémieu (although the source text mentions Vernas, GPS coordinates and the address Mérimée indicate Crémieu), the fountain marks local urban history. His registration as a Historic Monuments underscores his heritage value, both for his architecture and for his role in collective memory. The accuracy of its location, however, remains approximate, with a score of 6/10 depending on available sources.

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