Fontaine Saint-Nicolas
MonumentHidden Treasure
Fontaine Saint-Nicolas, located in Blois (Loir-et-Cher), is a Renaissance château built in the 16th century. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Renaissance (16th century)
- Location
- Blois, Loir-et-Cher, Centre-Val de Loire
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.5838, 1.3309
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00098348
A discreet and bewitching vestige of the Saint-Laumer Abbey in Blois, this 17th-century fountain distils water from the rock through two bronze mouths, a living testimony to Benedictine monastic hydraulic art.
© Wikimedia Commons
History
Nestling against the wall of the old hospital - itself the heir to the great Benedictine abbey of Saint-Laumer - the Saint-Nicolas Fountain is one of those works of art that you come across almost by accident, on the bend of a cobbled street in Blois. Yet in just a few square metres, it encapsulates several centuries of urban, religious and technical history. Its position against the façade of the former monastic establishment gives it a rare atmosphere of contemplation, far removed from the hustle and bustle of the nearby royal castle. What makes this fountain truly unique is the ingenuity of its supply: the water does not come from an ordinary artificial network, but from a natural spring gushing out of the tufa rock that forms the characteristic subsoil of the Blésois region. An underground canal carries this water from a sort of small lake hidden beneath the rue des Degrés Saint-Nicolas, creating a hydraulic circuit that is both natural and skilfully controlled. You can see the expert hand of the Benedictine monks, masters in the art of capturing and distributing running water within their establishments. In front of the fountain, three stone steps gracefully lead down to the pool, inviting visitors to pause and contemplate. The two bronze mouths - one depicting a human head, the other a fish's head - pour out their water with an almost hypnotic regularity. This aquatic symbolism, combining humanity and nature, reflects an iconography common in the religious and decorative art of the classical period, but here it retains a monastic sobriety. Visiting the Fontaine Saint-Nicolas also means immersing yourself in the secret topography of Blois, a city carved out of cellars, galleries and underground springs. The fountain becomes much more than a simple element of urban décor: it is a threshold between two worlds, between visible stone and invisible water, between public space and the buried memory of a vanished abbey.
Architecture
The Saint-Nicolas Fountain is a sober, elegant piece of architecture, fully representative of 17th-century French classicism applied to hydraulic engineering. Set against the wall of the former abbey, it is composed of three superimposed levels: a solid stone base that provides the foundation and stability of the whole, a plain panel that forms the neutral background of the composition, and a cornice that crowns the building with the ordered rigour typical of classical aesthetics. The hard stone used - probably local tuffeau or a limestone with similar qualities - ensures both solidity and chromatic harmony with the surrounding buildings of old Blois. The most remarkable feature is the two finely worked bronze mouths. The first features a human head - probably male, according to the canonical representations of classical fountain masks - while the second takes the form of a fish head, a universal aquatic symbol. These two sculpted elements give the fountain an iconographic dimension that goes beyond mere functionality, evoking the dialogue between man and nature, a theme dear to the monumental art of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Three stone steps lead down from street level to the water basin, organising the space in a hierarchical fashion and providing convenient access for drawing water. The water supply system is the real technical feat of the work: an underground canal collects the water from a natural spring in the rock and leads it to a small artificial lake beneath the rue des Degrés Saint-Nicolas, before carrying it to the bronze outlets. This underground hydraulic system bears witness to remarkable monastic hydraulic engineering know-how, perfectly adapted to the karstic and tuffaceous geology of the Blois subsoil.
Related Figures
Saint Laumer (VIe-VIIe siècle) — moine ermite fondateur de l'abbaye éponyme de BloisLes moines bénédictins de la Congrégation de Saint-Maur — réformateurs et bâtisseurs de l'abbaye au XVIIe siècleAnonyme, architecte ou maître maçon bénédictin — concepteur de la fontaine au XVIIe siècleLes religieux de Saint-Laumer — commanditaires de l'ouvrage hydrauliqueAutorités patrimoniales de la IVe République — signataires de l'arrêté d'inscription aux MH (1946)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Fontaine Saint-Nicolas located?
Fontaine Saint-Nicolas is located in Blois, Loir-et-Cher department, Centre-Val de Loire region, France.
When was Fontaine Saint-Nicolas built?
Fontaine Saint-Nicolas dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Fontaine Saint-Nicolas open to visitors?
Fontaine Saint-Nicolas is currently closed to visitors.