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Origin and history

The nymphée de Gennes is a Gallo-Roman building located in Gennes-Val-de-Loire (formerly Gennes), Maine-et-Loire, about 10 km downstream of Saumur, on the banks of the Loire. It is located in a private property, at the place called Mardron, near the church Saint-Veterin. Its facade is oriented to the northwest, and excavations revealed an apse of 3.94 meters radius, with pillars reaching 4.75 meters height. Inside, six pilasters were to bear statues of nymphs, although only one fragment (a woman's arm) was found.

The water was sent to the nymph through an aqueduct of 800 meters, connected to the fountain of Chapeau, known for its beneficial powers. This monument was first described in 1812 by Jean-François Bodin, who saw baths there. In 1839, V. Godard-Faultrier identified the route of the aqueduct, and the site was entirely cleared between 1882 and 1898 by Charles d'Achon and Paul de Farcy. Ranked a historic monument in 1983, there remains a rare testimony of Gallo-Roman religious and hydraulic practices in the region.

The remains of the nymph include a cella (main room) where nymph statues were probably located in niches. The aqueduct, 800 meters long, illustrates Roman engineering for water supply, while the fountain of Chapeau, combined with local beliefs, highlights the symbolic importance of water in ancient cults. Today, the site is protected but located on a private property, limiting its accessibility to the public.

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