Fontaine Sainte-Clotilde

Les Andelys

Local tradition relates that Queen Clotilde, wife of Clovis, had a monastery built at Les Andelys around 511 to take in young women of the nobility. When the workmen on the site complained of the heat and their thirst, the queen is said to have prayed by the nearby spring, whose water at once took on the strength and taste of wine: this is the founding episode of the fountain of Sainte-Clotilde. The spring then acquired a reputation for healing, and pilgrims from the surrounding country came to immerse themselves in its basin to obtain relief from their infirmities. Even today, the fountain is known locally above all for skin complaints and eczema. Until recently the saint was celebrated at the beginning of June: a procession carried her relics from the collegiate church of Notre-Dame to the fountain, where Mass was celebrated. The site, laid out as a small enclosure with a basin, has remained a discreet and popular place of devotion, well outside the limelight of the nearby Château-Gaillard. It is one of the rare Norman examples of a healing fountain still accessible, maintained and signposted by the commune.

Ville des Andelys — Fontaine Sainte-Clotilde ↗

Getting there : 10 boulevard Néhou, 27700 Les Andelys, in Le Grand-Andely, a few minutes' walk from the collegiate church of Notre-Dame. Free parking nearby, free unguided visits, site open daily from 9 am to 6 pm; guided tours (admission charge) offered by the tourist office.

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

Ambient sound