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Base Mérimée: Monuments historiques · France

Fontaine d'Aigoulène

Limoges, Haute-Vienne, France

The record

Designation
Historic monument, registered (inscrit), in part
Protection
inscrit MH partiellement
Extent of protection
La vasque : inscription par arrêté du 16 septembre 1949
Protection dates
1949/09/16 : inscrit MH
Type
fontaine
Main period of construction
15e siècle
Ownership
propriété de la commune
Address
place du Champ-de-Foire
Commune
Limoges
Département
Haute-Vienne
Region
Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Country
France
Coordinates
45.83024, 1.25731
Mérimée reference
PA00100346

Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.

David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

5 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1703 map "Map of the Geography of Ancient France). (continued.)" (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).

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This record on the Ministère de la Culture's POP platform ↗

The Ministère de la Culture's notice

Vasque déposée au Champ-de-Foire (actuelle place Winston-Churchill) depuis la fin du 19e siècle, restaurée en 1994 et installée, place Saint-Michel, à la base d'une fontaine reconstituée. D'après la tradition, cette fontaine aurait été offerte par l'émir Aygoland, retenu prisonnier à Limoges, peu après la ruine de la ville par Pépin le Bref en 763. Elle fut perfectionnée par Pierre Audier, sénéchal du Limousin, vers 1200, puis restaurée au 13e siècle. En 1647, elle fut ornée de douze mufles de dauphins et de lions. Elle fut transportée au Champ-de-Foire en 1889. L'ouvrage présente une vasque monolithe en granit de douze mètres de circonférence extérieuree et d'une profondeur de soixante centimètres. La mouluration de la paroi extérieure est formée de trois boudins toriques entre lesquels s'intercalent deux moulures toriques concaves. Les têtes de dauphins et de lions qui ornaient autrefois cette fontaine ont disparu. Leur emplacement se distingue encore grâce aux trous d'évacuation des eaux, aveuglés au ciment. Au centre de la vasque, un socle en granit supportait autrefois une statue de saint Martial revêtu de ses ornements pontificaux, statue aujourd'hui disparue.

English translation

The text above is the record as published by the Ministère de la Culture, in French. The English below is a machine translation made by TreeAlive, not by the Ministère de la Culture; it has not been checked by a person. Where the two differ, the original is the record. Report a translation error: privacy@treealive.com

Basin removed to the Champ-de-Foire (present-day Place Winston-Churchill) from the late 19th century, restored in 1994 and installed at Place Saint-Michel at the base of a reconstituted fountain. According to tradition, this fountain was said to have been offered by the emir Aygoland, held prisoner at Limoges, shortly after the town's destruction by Pépin le Bref in 763. It was improved by Pierre Audier, seneschal of Limousin, around 1200, then restored in the 13th century. In 1647, it was decorated with twelve dolphin and lion muzzles. It was moved to the Champ-de-Foire in 1889. The work features a monolith granite basin twelve metres in external circumference and sixty centimetres in depth. The moulding of the outer wall is formed of three toric beads between which two concave toric mouldings are interspersed. The dolphin and lion heads which formerly ornamented this fountain have disappeared. Their location is still distinguishable thanks to the water drainage holes, sealed with cement. In the centre of the basin, a granite plinth formerly supported a statue of Saint Martial dressed in his pontifical vestments, a statue now disappeared.

Nearby in the register

Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.

Base Mérimée, Ministère de la Culture, data last updated 2026-09-17, reused under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab). Record text is reproduced unchanged. Ministère de la Culture · Licence Ouverte 2.0
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