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Fountain of Aigoulène de Limoges en Haute-Vienne

Patrimoine classé
Patrimoine urbain
Fontaine
Haute-Vienne

Fountain of Aigoulène de Limoges

    Place du Champ-de-Foire
    87000 Limoges
Ownership of the municipality
Fontaine dAigoulène de Limoges
Fontaine dAigoulène de Limoges
Fontaine dAigoulène de Limoges
Fontaine dAigoulène de Limoges
Crédit photo : F.Baker - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Haut Moyen Âge
Moyen Âge central
Bas Moyen Âge
Renaissance
Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
800
1200
1300
1400
1500
1600
1700
1800
1900
2000
763
Legend of Emir Aygoland
vers 1200
Development by Pierre Audier
XIIIe siècle
Medieval restoration
1647
Addition of animal sculptures
16 septembre 1949
Registration for historical monuments
1994
Restoration and resettlement
fin du XIXe siècle
Travel to Champ-de-Foire
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

La vasque : inscription by decree of 16 September 1949

Key figures

Émir Aygoland - Legendary prisoner Would have offered the fountain in 763.
Pierre Audier - Sénéchal du Limousin Perfected the fountain around 1200.
Louis Coulon - 17th century traveler Describes the fountain in 1643.
Saint Martial - Local religious figure Central statue today disappeared.

Origin and history

The fountain of Aigoulène, located in Limoges, Haute-Vienne, is a 15th century vestige, although its tradition dates back to a legend related to Emir Aygoland, prisoner after the destruction of the city by Pépin the Short in 763. According to this tradition, the fountain would have been offered by this emir, then perfected around 1200 by Pierre Audier, Sénéchal du Limousin, before being restored in the 13th century. These accounts, although unverified, underline its early historical importance.

In 1643, Louis Coulon described the fountain as "a unique ornament of the city," used to feed two ponds used to clean the streets twice a week. At that time, it was already decorated with twelve muffles of dolphins and lions, added in 1647. These decorative elements, now gone, testify to its practical and aesthetic role in limugeaude life.

The granite monolith basin, with a circumference of twelve meters, was moved at the end of the 19th century to the Champ-de-Foire (now Winston-Churchill Square), then restored in 1994 before being installed Place Saint-Michel. It has been listed as historical monuments since 16 September 1949. Originally, a statue of St Martial, now extinct, reigned in its centre, strengthening its link with local religious heritage.

The water drain holes, now blocked, recall the location of the ancient animal sculptures. The fountain thus illustrates the urban transformations of Limoges, between public utility, religious symbolism and medieval heritage. Its present state, though partial, makes it a major witness to limousine history.

External links