Logo Musée du Patrimoine

All French heritage classified by regions, departments and cities

Fountain of Saint-Mériadec in Pontivy dans le Morbihan

Patrimoine classé
Patrimoine urbain
Fontaine
Morbihan

Fountain of Saint-Mériadec in Pontivy

    Stival
    56300 Pontivy
Fontaine de Saint-Mériadec à Pontivy
Fontaine de Saint-Mériadec à Pontivy
Crédit photo : Llann Wé² - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1600
1700
1800
1900
2000
XVe-XVIe siècle (4e quart du XVe ou 1er quart du XVIe)
Presumed construction
25 septembre 1928
Historical monument classification
Années 1970
Restoration
1974-2020
Disappearance of the statue
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

Fountain of Saint-Mériadec in Stival (cad. AB 107): inscription by order of 25 September 1928

Key figures

Famille de Rohan - Suspected sponsors Weapons visible on the building, letters H and L.

Origin and history

The fountain of Saint-Mériadec is located at the place called "Stival", in the commune of Pontivy, Brittany (Department of Morbihan). Dating from the 16th century, it was fed by two sources and was listed as historical monuments on 25 September 1928. Its sculpted granite architecture includes an edicle adorned with a niche surmounted by an accolade decorated with carved heads and a Rohan arms shield. The fountain was restored in the 1970s, but the wooden statue of Saint Mériadec, still present in the niche in 1974, disappeared by 2020.

The fountain is surrounded by a stone enclosure, accessible by two entrances protected by stairs, and includes an adjacent washer. Its gable has sculpted leaves, while the letters "H" and "L" appear on both sides of the archivolt, possibly evoking a connection with Rohan's family. The building, owned by the commune, could date from the last quarter of the 15th century or the beginning of the 16th century, according to stylistic analyses. Its current state and openness to the public are not specified in available sources.

The full arms of the Rohan, visible in the tympanum, confirm the historic importance of the fountain, linked to this powerful Breton family. The site, although classified, suffers from an imprecise geographical location (level 5/10 according to available data), and its exact access remains to be confirmed. Sources indicate an approximate address at 1 Rue des Déportés, but without warranty of accuracy. The fountain illustrates the religious and hydraulic heritage of Breton, typical of late medieval constructions or Renaissance in inland Brittany.

External links