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Why a fountain with elephants? Did Cleon d'Andran see elephants crossing his path, straight out of a tale from the Arabian Nights?
Description
At the beginning of the 20th century, on the last Sunday in January, the Bouviers held their traditional corso. A cart, decorated with branches of almond blossom, pulled by a pair of oxen, on which the two elected kings were seated, opened the parade. The First World War (1914-1918) put an end to this festival. In 1946, a committee of young people from an artistic group called "L'Alouette des Andrans", who organized galas to send parcels to prisoners of war, took on the responsibility of rekindling the flame. Ascension Day was chosen. Ascension Day was chosen, as it was usually a celebration of celibacy. An original meeting: bachelors and newlyweds were invited, divided into two groups. They paraded around the village on the platform of a flatbed truck. The bachelors, nicknamed "Matous", had the head of a large cat as their emblem, while the grooms, nicknamed "Cornards", had the head of a capricorn as their emblem. The festival was such a success that it is still a topic of conversation among our elders.
The following year, the first corso was held. A queen and two bridesmaids were chosen, and the tradition continued every year until 1995. In 1966, a float entitled "Tales of a Thousand and One Nights", decorated with elephant calves, was so successful that three more were built in cement, forming the elephant fountain today.
Spoken languages
- French
Themes
- Engineering structure