Augustins Fountain

You are now standing in front of the Augustins Fountain, a discreet witness to several centuries of Basel’s history. A fountain was already mentioned at this location as early as 1468. The one you see today was modified and moved here in 1846 to create more space in the street. The column is made of dark red cast iron, decorated with small angel heads and topped with a very distinctive creature: the basilisk. This mythical animal, part rooster, part dragon and part serpent, is one of Basel’s most recognizable symbols. Since the fifteenth century it has been closely associated with the city and often appears holding its coat of arms, just as it does here. According to old legends, the basilisk was a fearsome creature with a deadly gaze, and it still remains part of the local imagination. You can spot several versions of it around the city, especially on fountains. The name of the street itself recalls the presence of the Augustinians, a religious order that settled here at the end of the thirteenth century. Like many fountains in Basel, this one once played an important role in daily life, and it is still in service today, with drinking water continuously flowing into the basin, which was also once used to water animals.