Pouhon

Overview

The Pouhon (today the Pouhon Pierre-le-Grand), the best-known mineral spring of Spa, in the centre of the town. Belgian heritage sources say the Pouhon and the Sauvenière have been in use since the sixteenth century (Jan Breughel mentions both in 1612) and that the Pouhon's present pavilion dates from 1880, so the building Marie knew in 1874 was an earlier one (Great Spa Towns of Europe, Spa dossier; Historic Thermal Towns, «Spa»). The earlier entry's claim that it is Spa's oldest spring is not supported by these sources and is dropped.

The Bashkirtseffs lived opposite it in July 1874: «Vis-à-vis le Pouhon, la plus jolie maison aux volets verts, cinq fenêtres de façade, balcon au premier» (020.0532).

In Marie's diary

• 1874-06-30 (020.0471): after the casino ball the party wakes the keeper at night to open the spring and drink; «près du Pouhon on s'arrête, on réveille la femme».
• 1874-07-04 (020.0532): the house opposite. 07-05 (021.0009): «Au Pouhon Dina et moi allons faire la promenade, après le Pouhon exigé» with de Neufarge; 07-09 (021.0067): «après le Pouhon nous allons à l'allée» with Basilévitch; 07-10 (021.0096): the planned pique-nique «Ce sera bon fracas pour la bonne ville de Spa, vis-à-vis le bon Pouhon.»

See Spa, Casino.