Sainte Tombe d'Arles-sur-Tech

Arles-sur-Tech

This Roman sarcophagus, reused in the forecourt of the abbey of Sainte-Marie, produces between 200 and 300 litres of water every year, long presented on tourist signboards as an "unsolved mystery". A study in 1961 and then a scientific study published in 2001 (in the journal *Atmospheric Research*) nevertheless established the explanation: around 90% rainwater seeping through the porous lid, supplemented by around 10% night-time condensation, the whole retained by the watertight basin — an example of a local legend now explained scientifically, rather than a supernatural phenomenon.

AFIS — Arles-sur-Tech, la fin d'un mystère ↗

Getting there : Free access to the abbey forecourt

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

Ambient sound