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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Ribeauvillé Fountain is a historic monument located in the Place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville, in the Alsatian municipality of the same name. Dated from the 2nd quarter of the 16th century (ca. 1536), it is distinguished by its octagonal basin in pink sandstone, each side of which is carved of quadrilobes. In the centre, a drum richly decorated with bas-reliefs supports a lion statue bearing the Ribeaupierre shield, a local noble family. Three putti with curly hair, integrated into the base, hold in their mouths bronze gulottes, while naked characters and armored shields (including those of William II of Ribeaupierre and Geroldseck) decorate the barrel. Date 1536 and symbols such as the Golden Fleece Collar are engraved.

The fountain, classified as a historical monument since 1932, features a complex iconography: a Christ on a cross, male and female heads in medallions, as well as flames emerging from a basket worn by one of the characters. The bronze gulottes, supported by wrought iron supports, illustrate the craftsmanship of the time. Although the central part of the barrel appears to have been replaced by the same, the ensemble retains a stylistic consistency typical of the Alsatian Renaissance. The fountain thus reflects the prestige of the family of Ribeaupierre, a powerful local dynasty, and its integration into the European political network (as evidenced by the Golden Flesh).

From a technical point of view, the fountain combines pink sandstone, bronze and wrought iron, durable materials that have allowed its conservation until today. Its location on the main square of Ribeauvillé, the administrative and commercial heart of the city, highlights its role both utilitarian (water supply) and symbolic (assertion of seigneurial power). The accuracy of its geographical location is estimated to be mediocre (note 5/10), with an official address registered in the Mérimée base: Place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville, 68150 Ribeauvillé. Owned by the municipality, it remains accessible to the public, although its original use has disappeared.

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