Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Fountain of the Virgin, located in the Place de la République in Altkirch (High Rhine), is a hybrid monument combining two distinct periods. Built in the mid-19th century (1857 for the hexagonal basin), it reuses 15th century elements, including the statue of the Virgin and part of its Gothic pinnacle. The latter, crowned with hooks and surmounted by a flower, comes from the ancient church of Altkirch, demolished in 1844. The fountain was initially placed at the location of its apse.

The flamboyant Gothic-style hexagonal basin features six sides decorated with blind arc networks. In the centre, a hexagonal barrel carries three gargoyles in dragon's mouth alternating with shields with the city's weapons, dated 1857 (Anno Domini). A neo-Gothic openwork dais, added in the 19th century, houses the medieval statue of the Virgin. The drawing of the ensemble is attributed to Charles Gutzwiller, local architect.

The fountain has been subject to double protection since 9 March 1987: inscription for its structure (excluding statue) and classification for the statue of the Virgin herself. The latter, prior to 1844, once adorned the southeast corner of the missing church choir. The monument thus illustrates the neo-Gothic reinterpretation of medieval elements, typical of the 19th century.

Owned by the municipality of Altkirch, the fountain is part of the Alsatian religious and urban heritage. Its iconography (dragons, crowned shields) and Latin inscription underline its anchor in local history, between medieval heritage and architectural renaissance under the Second Empire.

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