Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Fountain des Quatre-Vallées, also known as the Duvignau Fountain, was commissioned in March 1893 by the bequest of Mrs.Duvignau (heritage of her brother Bouzigues, former mayor of Tarbes). This legacy required the creation of two water jets in Marcadieu Square. The monument, designed by architect Louis Caddau, was completed in March 1896 under the mandate of Mayor F. Adam. It combines the talents of three sculptors: Edmond Desca (composition of the rocks and basins), Jean Escoula (statues of the Aurora and the Bagnères valley), and Louis Mathet (statues of the Aure, Argelès and Tarbes).

The 14-metre pyramidal structure of limestone and grey marble represents an allegory of the Pyrenean springs. At the top, the Aurora (bronze of Jean Escoula) throws flowers, surrounded by a leaping isard. Below, naked human figures symbolize the torrents (Adour, Arros, Neste, Bastan, Gave, Echez), carved by Desca. Two circular marble basins, connected by a rocky pile, collect water spilled by jars. The sides of the pile bear three bronze animals (eye, bear, wolf), emblems of the mountains.

The four cardinal points of the fountain are home to sculpted groups evoking: the Tarbes plain (horse and cannon), the Bagneres valley (poets' lyre), the Aure valley (mound and beef), and the Argelès valley (bouquetin). A plaster study of the Torrents, exhibited at the Salies Museum, won a gold medal at the 1900 Universal Exhibition. The fountain was listed in the Historic Monuments by decree of 14 September 2023, after more than a century of existence as a symbol of the Bigourdan valleys.

The fountain is part of a larger urban project: Marcadieu Square also hosts the fountain "Les Sources de l'Amour", sponsored at the same time. The ensemble reflects Tarbes' artistic and heritage ambition at the end of the 19th century, combining tribute to local landscapes and municipal prestige. Today, the Duvignau-Bousigues fountain remains a major cultural landmark of the city, testifying to the know-how of the Pyrenean sculptors and the hydraulic history of the region.

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