Fontaine des pisseurs, Renaissance fountain in Lacaune, France.
Fontaine des pisseurs is a stone fountain construction from the 16th century with an elevated polygonal basin from which water flows through four bronze figures into a lower sandstone reservoir. The structure combines ornamental bronze work with functional water engineering, where carved figure heads act as water spouts between the two basins.
This fountain was built in 1559 and commemorates a local financial contribution from 1396, when Lacaune raised 300 gold coins to secure the release of a important prisoner. The monument links medieval civic generosity with Renaissance craftsmanship and marks a meaningful moment in regional history.
The four bronze figures, called 'pissaires', playfully reference the diuretic effects of Lacaune's thermal waters in a humorous way typical of Renaissance public art. This creative approach shows how the town celebrated its natural springs through witty sculpture rather than formal monuments.
The fountain sits in the old town center and is freely accessible year-round without fees, remaining visible from nearby streets and plazas. Parking and public amenities are located in the surrounding area, making it easy to include in a walking tour of the town's other historical sites.
Water flows through grotesque bronze figure heads positioned between the basins, creating an unusual blend of artistic expression and water engineering in a single mechanism. This combination of playful design with serious technical function is uncommon in fountain architecture of the period.
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