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Origin and history

The Fountain Notre-Dame-du-Roncier, also known as the Miraculous Fountain, is located on the road to the fountain in Josselin, Morbihan. Although bearing the date of 1675, its origin would go back to the tenth century, when a farmer discovered a statue of the Virgin in a thorn shop. According to legend, the statue, removed from the site, had returned miraculously, giving rise to stories of healing, especially against epilepsy, in the seventeenth century and in 1728. An annual pardon is held every September 8, perpetuating a tradition of devotion and community gathering.

The fountain, with a surface of 50 m2, consists of a central basin accessible by two stairs, surmounted by an edicle decorated with a statue of the Virgin with the Child in polychrome wood, contemporary construction. A triangular pediment, decorated with the Rohan coat of arms and a cross, dominates the whole. The site, which has been listed as a historic monument since 25 September 1928, was enriched in 1905 by a double staircase and a swimming pool, then equipped with a wrought iron fence in 1958. The numerous ex-votos and rosaries present testify to its importance in local religious practices.

The fountain is part of a Breton tradition of veneration of sources, dating back to pre-Christian times. It served as both a place of recollection during pilgrimages and a friendly setting for the feasts of forgiveness, mixing sacred and secular. The statue of the Virgin, placed in an architectural niche, and subsequent developments reflect the evolution of her function over the centuries, between popular devotion and preserved historical heritage.

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