Fontaine du rocher de Saint-Sicaire (abbaye de Brantôme)

Brantôme en Périgord

At Brantôme, the cliff that borders the Dronne hides the rooms of the former Benedictine abbey. In this part dug into the rock is a fountain called ‘du rocher’, dedicated to Saint Sicarius. According to tradition, Charlemagne consecrated the abbey in 817 by depositing there the relics of Sicarius, one of the Holy Innocents, the children whom King Herod is said to have had massacred. These relics are still in the abbey church. The Dordogne tourism website describes it as renowned for its miraculous virtues; Wikipédia specifies that it is still venerated for its effect on fertility. The pilgrimages gave Brantôme its first renown. The first monastery, whose very location is unknown, was ravaged by the Vikings in 848 and in 857. The abbey visible today dates from the 12th century; it is partly built into the cliff. In the same underground part one sees the grotte du Jugement dernier, fitted out in the 15th century, with its two large bas-reliefs. The fountain belongs to this route, but no source read gives a date for the cult of the water itself.

Getting there: Behind the abbaye Saint-Pierre, at Brantôme, at the foot of the cliff. The troglodyte part can be visited with explanatory panels, combined with the musée Fernand-Desmoulin (Wikipédia); hours and prices not verified: see the tourist office. Coordinates: path of the abbey cliffs in OpenStreetMap, position of the spring not verified.

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound