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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Votive Fountain of Verdelais, located in the Gironde department in New Aquitaine, is part of a commemorative ensemble linked to a Marian pilgrimage. It is located at Le Luc, about 500 metres from Notre Dame Basilica, accessible by the departmental road D19e6. This site is inseparable from a medieval legend: in 1390, Isabelle, Countess of Foix, discovered by chance a hidden statue of the Virgin Mary after her mule stopped clean, a foot stuck in a stone. This episode, known as the Pas de la Mule, gave rise to a local devotion and justified the protection of the statue, initially hidden in 1295 to escape the English invasion in Guyenne.

The site was built as a pilgrimage site in the 19th century, with the construction of the votive fountain in 1895 and the addition of a sculptural group in 1860. The latter includes six ceramic stoneware statues, made by sculptor Clerc, representing scenes related to legend and Marian devotion. Together, including the fountain and the Pas-de-la-Mule monument, was classified as historical monuments by order of 14 December 2010. Today, the site remains a high place of spirituality and heritage, managed by a diocesan association.

Oral tradition and written sources underline the role of this monument in collective memory, mixing religious history, 19th century sculptural art and medieval heritage. The votive fountain, combined with devotional practices (blessed water, processions), illustrates the persistence of Marian cults in Aquitaine, while at the same time testifying to artistic techniques of the time, such as the use of ceramic sandstone. Its recent classification confirms its heritage value, both architectural, historical and symbolic.

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