Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Royal Fountain of Lupin, located in the Charente bed in Saint-Nazaire-sur-Charente, was built in 1676 when the Rochefort arsenal was founded to supply the ships with drinking water. It was the first source captured from the arsenal, playing a strategic role in maritime supply. Its initial architecture, a 14 metre hexagonal tower decorated with a doric order, reflected its functional and symbolic importance.

In 1763, the engineer Augias completely reinvigorated the fountain to increase the flow and modernize the water intakes. The structure retained its hexagonal plan but adopted Tuscan pilasters, blind arcades and oculi carved from plant garlands. This overhaul was intended to optimize the hydraulic system, complemented by a 2,800-metre pipeline connecting two local sources (Fontpurry and Source of the Dead), each with a stone reservoir edicle.

Ranked a historic monument in 1999, the Fountain of Lupin is one of the three aquads (fresh water supply points) still preserved in France, alongside those of Brest and Belle-Île. Disabled in the 20th century, it has found a new vocation since 1985 with the installation of pontoons, transforming the site into a marina welcoming up to 90 boats from April to October. Its architectural heritage and maritime history make it a unique testimony to the hydraulic engineering of Ancien Régime.

The protected elements include not only the aiguade itself, but also the remains of the basins, the edicles of the sources and the look of the pipeline. The fountain thus illustrates the interdependence between the development of the Rochefort arsenal, the technical innovations of the eighteenth century and the planning of the Charente territory, marked by the presence of the Charente and naval activities.

External links