The monks' fountain

It was built shortly after 1614 using materials taken from the abbey church when it was restored after the Wars of Religion. It is not a wash-house, nor is it a drinking water supply. The spring was used as far back as Antiquity by the Roman villa located further up the hill. It may have been the object of a domestic cult, Christianised in the form of a popular belief in its healing properties. At the beginning of the 17th century, the monks would have converted the site to accommodate the faithful and pilgrims. However, there are no records of the use to which this elaborate construction was put, and it remains something of a mystery. It's up to you to make up your own mind at the end of this walk.