Fontaine Sainte-Anne

Belhade

A quiet spring dedicated to young mothers, where the water of the pines once carried the hope of plentiful milk.

Like hundreds of other water sources in the Landes forest, this fountain belongs to the network of the "fontaines des Landes", where each patron saint is assigned a therapeutic speciality through a play of homonymy and oral tradition. Saint Anne, mother of the Virgin, was invoked here by young mothers to encourage lactation, following the same ritual as at the other springs of the département. The commune of Belhade, dominated by the château de Rochefort-Lavie and the Romanesque church of Saint-Vincent-de-Xaintes (11th century, listed in 1968), traditionally lived from forestry.

Getting there : Devotional forest spring near the château de Rochefort-Lavie and the church of Saint-Vincent-de-Xaintes; free access, coordinates correspond to the village of Belhade.

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

Ambient sound