Aire-sur-l'Adour No. 1 / Le Mas-d'Aire

INFORMATION

FontID: 03581AIR
Church/Chapel: Eglise Sainte-Quitterie-du-Mas-d'Aire [aka Saint-Quittérie d'Aire]
Church Patron Saints: St. Quiteria
Country Name: France
Location: Landes, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Directions to Site: The church of Sainte-Quitterie is actually in "le Mas", just S of Aire-s-l'Adour, itself about 50 kms N of Pau.
Ecclesiastic Region: Diocèse d'Aire et Dax
Historical Region: Aquitaine
Font Location in Church: In the crypt
Century and Period: 5th - 6th century, Early Christian
Church Notes: The original church dates from the 12th century.
Described in Corblet (1881-1882) as "restes d'un baptistère carré dans lequel on descend par trois degrés"; Corblet adds that there is a a square hole chiseled out at the lower step, through which the water of the baptistery drained onto the neighbouring hill. The three steps mentioned in Corblet match the usual construction of Early Christian basins. [cf. also Index entry for Aire-sur-Adour No. 2 for the Gallo-Roman stoup] [NB: some other sources mention the presence of a a Merovingian sarcophagus in the crypt. Is this the same object? - to be resolved on site: On-site notes: there are a number of sarcgophagi in the crypt; the one of St. Quiteria is not the "baptistère" noted in Corblet]. On-site notes: not seen during our visit; the present font in use is modern, made of red-and-white marble; it consists of a shallow round basin with a centre drain and no lining, raised on a round pedestal base and a round-to-square lower base; it is 104.5 cm tall.

COORDINATES

Church Latitude & Longitude Decimal: 43.6972, -0.2686
Church Latitude & Longitude DMS: 43° 41′ 49.92″ N, 0° 16′ 6.96″ W

MEDIUM AND MEASUREMENTS

Material: stone, unknown
Font Shape: square
Basin Interior Shape: square
Basin Exterior Shape: square

REFERENCES

Corblet, Jules, Histoire dogmatique, liturgique et archéologique du sacrement de baptême, Paris: V. Palme, 1881-1882
Delcor, M., "Les cuves romanes et leur figuration en Roussillon, Cerdagne et Conflent", 4, Cahiers Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa, 1973, pp. 96-109, 4 pl.; r["References"]