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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Saint-Clair Fountain, located 100 metres from Saint-Pierre de Mons Church in Belin-Béliet, is a ferrous sandstone building decorated with flowers and statuettes. Its water, considered miraculous, was traditionally associated with the healing of eye diseases. It is dedicated to Saint Clair, a legendary martyr whose relics were transferred from Bordeaux to Lectoure in 1858. An annual ceremony, on the first Sunday of June, continues his local worship.

The fountain is part of a network of more than 250 "healing" sources identified in the Landes, reflecting an established socio-cultural tradition. Its modest but symbolic architecture, with a decorated dome, makes it a place of devotion linked to medieval pilgrimages, especially those of Santiago de Compostela. The local legend associates its origin with Charlemagne and Roland's companions, although this hypothesis is historically disputed.

Listed as a Historic Monument on January 9, 1990, the fountain illustrates the religious and vernacular heritage of the Landes. Its water, an object of centuries-old beliefs, and its wooded setting make it both a spiritual and picturesque site. The fountain remains a testimony of pilgrimage practices and local cults, between history and legend.

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