Rieumes

Baptismal font consisting of an octagonal basin with rounded lower sides raised on an octagonal pedestal base; two of the sides of the basin bear and inscription, the date in Roman numerals and in the Rieumois-Gascon [cf. Gaulejac below] dialect: "L'an Mil.ccccc [x?]Liiii / et le VIII abivl, son feitas las presentas fons". The inscription is also registered in Gaulejac (1965: [223]-224), but strangely enough he misses a "C" in the transcription and dates the font to 1444. Gaulejac (ibid.) identifies the local Rieumois as a dialect close to the Gascon language, perhaps closer to Languedoc in the origin, but with a "forte influence gasconne" by the early 16th century. Gaulejac (ibid.) also mentions that "Monsieur l'abbé Ad", the old dean under whose direction the church underwent renovations in the 20th century, had found an old font basin of blonde limestone that had been hidden [="intentionnellement enfouie] under the new font installed in 1840-1848, and decided to restore it to its proper function [NB: The local 'mairie' informs that this font was found buried under the altar during the renovations carried out in the 20th century -- source: www.ville-rieumes.fr]. Also described and illustrated in Miquel (1997: 36, 50 and fig. 30) [NB: the illustration in Miquel is mislabeled "Sajas"].