This circuit leads you down the allée de Blanchefontaine, which is bordered with lime trees, to get to the Fontaine de la Grenouille, then Saints-Geosmes via the Gallo-Roman fountain, passing by the Bonnelle fort. You will then head in the direction of Buzon where you will be able to admire the magnificent dry stone snail...
The Fontaine de la Grenouille: It has been around since 1678 and gets its name from the frog sculpted into the cave of the spring. Claude Forgeot, who would go on to build the Saint-Martin bell tower, gave it its current appearance in around 1755, not only with a view to preserving the site, but more so because he wanted to highlight the beauty that Mother Nature had bestowed upon it.
The use of curvilinear outlines and stones from rocks also demonstrate the desire to glorify the styles of architecture and the valleys through imitation. People dreamed of the town profiting from these fresh, murmuring waters. When it failed to do so, the hope lived on and provided inspiration for the inscription on the cave: “I am a nymph (...). If the gods assist me in my wishes, I will dwell in the city and the whole town will be invigorated by my waters.”
The source was also celebrated and renowned by the cutlery makers for soaking the steel.
The Bonnelle fort.
This Langres military structure, which had hardly been started when the war began in 1870, is the only device that endured enemy fire when the Prussians surrounded the square in 1871. Its construction, which started in 1869, was finally finished in 1885, after two periods of work (1869-1875 / 1881-1885). It is a trapezium-shaped stronghold with an area of 18 hectares. It could house 13 officers, 50 non-commissioned officers, 610 troops, 4 horses and 45 pieces of artillery.