Fontaine Sainte Clotilde (Fountain)

In 511, Queen Clotilde, wife of the Merovingian king Clovis I, began building an abbey for young noblewomen in the vicinity of the present-day collegiate church of Notre-Dame.

Legend has it that one day, the workers constructing the monastery complained of heat and thirst. Queen Clotilde, who was nearby, prayed that the water from the nearby fountain would have the strength and taste of wine for the workers.

The water from the fountain of Sainte-Clotilde, reputed to be miraculous, attracted huge crowds of pilgrims during processions, who came from all over the surrounding area to immerse themselves in the fountain in search of cures for their ailments. These healings only strengthened the belief in its virtues.

Today, the spring is renowned for curing skin diseases.

Until recently, Sainte-Clotilde was celebrated at the beginning of June as the town?s patron saint: a procession, led by the saint?s relics, made its way from the collegiate church of Notre-Dame to the fountain for a mass.