The monks’ fountain at Belleperche Abbey
An enigmatic and majestic monument to Belleperche Abbey
The fountain, built in the 17th century from medieval materials, recycles the remains of the Belleperche abbey church: columns, capitals and bricks.
Imagine a façade similar to the entrance to an ancient temple, with powerful columns resting on an embankment and framing a natural crevice from which water once gushed. In the past, a metal spout adorned the central opening, pouring water into two large twin basins.
Descending the slope on either side of the fountain, you reach the brick-paved terrace, framed by stone benches and bordered by a drainage channel. A second, larger terrace, made of pebbles and facing the Garonne, seems to invite you to rest and contemplate.
Too elaborate for a simple washhouse, too majestic for a simple domestic fountain: what was the purpose of this building?
Could this mysterious fountain be a "nymphaeum"?
In the 16th and 17th centuries, it was common practice to enhance natural settings with decor inspired by temples dedicated to nymphs. These spaces, veritable sanctuaries where water and architecture meet, served as places of rest and gathering.
Or does this fountain conceal an entirely different, much older story?
Traces of a Gallo-Roman villa, discovered just a stone's throw away, open up a new trail. In ancient times, springs were often dedicated to cults, sometimes miraculous, and the site could have been used as a pilgrimage site, which explains its benches and sophisticated architecture.
A mystery that remains intact ...
There is no written evidence to support these hypotheses, leaving the Fontaine des Moines shrouded in mystery. Come and stroll through this enchanting setting, where every stone seems to whisper a secret.
How to get to the Fontaine des Moines
Park in the visitor car park at Belleperche Abbey and turn right immediately along the road to the railway line.
Once you reach the railway line, turn left along the dirt track to the fountain.
Walking time: approximately 10 minutes.
Juste après le passage ferroviaire, prendre à gauche et suivre voie ferrée, puis continuer le chemin vers la droite sur 200 mètres avant de tomber sur un très beau lavoir. Très belle balade à faire en bord de Garonne.
Chuchoté par Frederic
