Crédit photo : Daniel VILLAFRUELA. - Sous licence Creative Commons
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Timeline
Renaissance
Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1600
1700
1800
1900
2000
1594
First mention of the fountain
First mention of the fountain 1594 (≈ 1594)
Existence attested prior to its current construction.
vers 1630
Procession Institution
Procession Institution vers 1630 (≈ 1630)
Deliberation of the City Corps for monthly pilgrimages.
1644
Completion of the fountain
Completion of the fountain 1644 (≈ 1644)
Final construction of the hexagonal wall and dome.
milieu du XVIIe siècle
Construction and destruction of the chapel
Construction and destruction of the chapel milieu du XVIIe siècle (≈ 1750)
Nearby chapel destroyed for the fortifications of Vauban.
20 juillet 1947
Historical Monument
Historical Monument 20 juillet 1947 (≈ 1947)
Official protection of the Saint-Léon fountain.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Fontaine Saint-Léon : classification by order of 20 July 1947
Key figures
Saint Léon - Legendary Martyr
Source related to his beheading by the Normans.
Vauban - Military engineer
Fortifications that led to the destruction of the chapel.
Origin and history
According to legend, the Saint-Léon fountain of Bayonne sprang up where the head of Saint Leon, beheaded by the Normans, touched the ground. This place became a pilgrimage site, its waters being supposed to cure the ills of pregnancy and eyes. By 1594, the fountain existed, but it was only around 1630 that the Bayonne City Corps instituted a monthly procession towards this site, marked then by a simple stone cross.
The construction of the current building took place in two phases: first the hexagonal wall, then the addition of a stone dome. The fountain was completed in 1644. A nearby chapel, built in the mid-17th century, was later destroyed for the needs of the fortifications of Vauban, but the fountain, classified as a Historical Monument in 1947, was preserved. Its architecture and history reflect both the local devotion and the urban transformations of Bayonne.
The Saint-Leon fountain illustrates the importance of sacred sources in medieval and modern religious culture. Its maintenance and protection over the centuries, despite the urban upheavals, testify to its anchoring in the Bayon heritage. Today, it remains a tangible vestige of collective beliefs and practices related to healing waters, typical of many European regions before the scientific era.
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