Dun-le-Palestel / Castrum d'Idunum / Dun-le-Palleteau

A trefoiled fountain and/or water trough located now (?) on rue Dunet, at Dun-le-Palestel, where it was restored in 2006 [cf. infra]. The Centre de la Culture du Limousin Médiéval [www.limousin-medieval.com /#!baptisteres-/c1ejl] [accessed 2 July 2016] has it illustrated with the following caption: "Cuve trilobée de Dun le Palleteau". The Dun-le-Palestel Town Hall [Mairie] web site [http://comint.fr/dun/dun_htm/7_infos_tourisme/6-_Curiosités_à_voir_fichiers/image010.jpg] [accessed 2 July 2016] notes: "La fontaine trilobée (rue de Dunet). Situé dans le quartier de Dunet, à quelques dizaines de mètres du lavoir, elle est taillée dans un seul bloc de granit et proviendrait du château de SAINT GERMAIN BEAUPRE. 10 paires de bœufs l’ont conduite jusqu’ici. Elle a été restaurée en 2006." Whether it can be proved that it was ever a baptismal font or not, there are a number of such medieval objects in this area [Bellac. Le Dorat, the one located in the old quarry at Châteauponsac, etc., which were made in this particular trefoiled shape, some of which have served as baptismal fonts. Claims of Carolingian age, and even earlier, for these objects are still made, though the likelihood of the claim to such antiquity is rather weak.