Former wash house at Porte d'Ardon

Here you are in front of the fountain and drinking trough at Porte d'Ardon: documented since the 14th century, this structure bears little resemblance to what it was in the 18th century.
It underwent extensive renovation around 1860 during urban development work (construction of the Ardon ramp), which involved moving the northern retaining wall, removing the old fountain section (transferred to the western terrace) and modifying the access points. These changes gave it its current appearance of a ‘rural construction’ at the end of the 19th century.
Today, it is divided into two distinct parts: to the east, the drinking trough (a paved enclosure with a trough) and, to the west, the fountain and wash house (more complex). The water is collected in a small cellar under Rue de l'Arquebuse, flows into a small fountain basin, then into the large wash house basin, all protected by a roof. The fountain is fed by underground drains.