Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Griffoul Fountain is an 18th century round basin surrounded by walkways and decorated with masks and garlands. Its centre is surmounted by a lead group probably dating back to the 17th century, composed of a lion-headed base, a urn supporting a cock (Gaillac's emblem), and four figurines, two of which represent Silene educating Bacchus. These elements suggest a reuse of an older ornamentation, perhaps from another fountain.

Ranked a historic monument in 1942, the fountain suffered numerous acts of vandalism. By 1760, two lead figures were stolen and found in Albi. In 1768, excrement was reported in the basin. In 1914, French soldiers damaged lead ornamentation during an exercise. Between 1960 and 1980, restorations were carried out by Marcel Jauze and Michel Bertincourt.

In the 21st century, the original rooster, stolen in 2007 and then recovered, was replaced by a resin copy for conservation reasons, while the original was exhibited at the Museum of Fine Arts in Gaillac. In 2012, facsimiles were again stolen, and in 2015 pipes were broken. Despite these incidents, the fountain remains a heritage symbol of Gaillac, with regular maintenance work, as in 2016.

Its history reflects both its cultural importance and its vulnerability, marked by episodes of degradation but also by constant preservation efforts. The coexistence of 17th and 18th century elements makes it a unique testimony of art and local history.

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