Fontaine Sainte-Quitterie

Commensacq

A discreet spring beneath the pines, where people once came to "quit" their migraines by entrusting a cloth to the water.

This fountain belongs to the very dense network of the "fontaines des Landes": the département has 256 on record, more than 10% of the roughly 2,000 Christianised springs in France. Dedicated to Saint Quitterie, it was traditionally invoked against headaches, the saint being depicted with a dog at her feet, its tongue hanging out. The ritual consisted of soaking a cloth in the spring water, applying it to the afflicted part and then leaving it on the spot as an ex-voto, often under the guidance of a local "recommandeuse"; the practice continued into the 1960s.

Getting there : Popular devotional spring in the forest, free access; coordinates correspond to the village of Commensacq, the spring lying within the commune.

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

Ambient sound