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Origin and history

The Pont-Joubert fountain, built at the end of the Middle Ages in Poitiers, is a small Gothic edicle vaulted in broken arch, located on the edge of the Clain. It owes its name to its proximity to the medieval bridge Joubert. Its simple architecture, typical of the public fountains of the period, includes a niche probably intended for a statue, as well as coats of arms today illegible, testifying to its unknown sponsor. Water, coming from the cliffs of the Dunes, was considered inexhaustible and highly prized, as evidenced by the numerous redevelopments of paving around the basin over the centuries.

In the 16th century, the fountain was restored by Gaucher de Sainte-Marthe, whose coat of arms and date of 1579 were placed on the pediment. A century later, in 1663, Mayor René Citoys added a baroque cartridge with his name, marking a new phase of work. Nicknamed the "jobertine nymphette" by local poets inspired by the Pleiade, it became a literary symbol and a place of daily life, frequented by lavender trees until the beginning of the 20th century, as shown by postcards of the period.

Threatened by the disappearance on several occasions, the fountain barely escaped modernization projects in 1870 (replacement by a cast iron pillar) and in 1899 (enlargement of the street). It was then moved by six meters, but its staircase was reversed from its original configuration, visible on old engravings such as that of Viollet-le-Duc. The latter quoted it in his Dictionary of Architecture as an emblematic example of medieval fountains, highlighting its Roman heritage and its social role for travellers and inhabitants.

Ranked as an additional inventory of historic monuments in 1935, the fountain is now surrounded by a public garden. It is part of a network of six medieval fountains that marked the Clain, some of which, such as the fountain of La Celle (transformed into a pumping station in the 19th century) or the fountain of the Pope (linked to a legend on Urban II), have disappeared or been modified. His rich iconography includes performances by Hoefnagel (1572), Nautré (1619), and 19th-century photographs showing his daily use.

The archives reveal its practical and symbolic importance: place of water supply, but also space of sociability and literary heritage. The poets of the University of Poitiers, like Scévole de Sainte-Marthe, dedicated verses to him, while his successive coat of arms (Gaucher de Sainte-Marthe, René Citoys) reflect his anchor in urban history. Despite the transformations, it remains a rare witness to medieval fountains in urban areas, combining public utility and flamboyant Gothic ornamentation.

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