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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.

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