Fontaine de la PIssotte - Saint Germain Boucles de Seine

At the origin of its history, in the sixth century, was Sainte Radegonde, young princess of Thuringia, then wife of Chlothar I, son of Clovis. A chapel dedicated to this saint was founded in 1215 and became a place of pilgrimage in the 18th century. The nearby spring soon came to be appreciated by the royal court and was deemed to have miraculous powers, its waters allegedly able to cure eye diseases.

The fountain also bears the nickname 'des Pieds Pourris' ('rotten feet') because, during the Middle Ages, thieves were condemned to sit with their feet tied under the fountain's very cold water until they began to rot.
In the 13th century, when the only water supply available to the inhabitants of Saint-Germain was the stagnant water from the Buzot stream, Guillaume de la Pissotte, an officer of Queen Blanche of Castile, acquired the property and the spring and gave his name to the fountain.

He made the water available to the Cour de France, which resided at Saint-Germain-en-Laye, and had the spring shut off so that its use was reserved exclusively for the king's table. This privilege was maintained from the time of Louis X to Louis XIV.

The tradition continued even when the Sun King left Saint-Germain-en-Laye for Versailles, at which time the spring water was transported in lead bottles.