Saint Yorre spring water
Saint Yorre is situated in the southern outskirts of Vichy, nestled in the heart of the Plain of Limagne.
The Eau de Saint Yorre has garnered recognition for its health benefits from the Academy of Medicine, and has been deemed of ‘public interest’ by ministerial decree. As a result, its source is safeguarded within a ‘protected area’.
Renowned for its exceptionally high mineral and trace element content, this water is prized for its re-hydrating properties, particularly during physical exertion, and is recommended for aiding digestion.
With a mineral residue of 4774 mg/l, it stands as the most mineral-rich natural water available. Its abundant CO2 content plays a role in preserving its bacteriological purity.
Sourced from a deep water table, which has undergone millennia of natural geological filtration, its production is rigorously regulated and subjected to continuous quality assessments, including daily laboratory tests.
Nicolas Larbaud
Nicolas Larbaud, a local pharmacist, is credited with the spring’s renown.
In 1850, he uncovered the mineral qualities of the water surfacing on his land in the village of Saint Yorre. Securing the operating license in 1859, he then established the Compagnie Propriétaire des Sources Minérales de Saint Yorre.
Three years later, he obtained authorization to include the label “Bassin Vichy” in his firm’s name. Saint Yorre and Vichy spring waters indeed share similar origins, stemming from the same water table.
Over the years, the popularity of Eau de Saint-Yorre surged. By the conclusion of WWI, 22 local establishments were authorized to bottle it. This number swelled to 140 in subsequent decades, with the water’s popularity showing no signs of waning.
The carbonated natural mineral waters sourced from the towns of Saint Yorre, Hauterive, St-Priest-Bramefant, and St Sylvestre-Pragoulin boast a consistent and identical composition. They were consequently united under the label of sources “Royale” and marketed under the brand name Saint Yorre.
The legend
the name Saint Yorre finds its origins in Saint-Thierry, a monk who preached in the region during the 6th century.
Variations of his name, such as Saint-Thierre and Saint-Thioire, were recorded in the 12th century. By the 15th century, it had transformed into Saint-Tiorre, eventually settling on Saint-Yorre by the early 16th century, a name it has retained since.
Legend has it that Saint-Thierry was born in the 5th century between a menhir (standing stone) and a sacred spring, in the village of Aumenancourt.
Renowned for his healing abilities, the holy man famously cured King Thierry, another Thierry who was the son of Clovis, of an eye ailment.
Another legend tells that, inspired by an eagle, Saint-Thierry founded the Mont d’Hor monastery in Champagne at the exact spot where the bird alighted.
Department of Allier
Coordinates:Lat 46.069124 – Long 3.456521
Credits: Photos et source article Jean Piludu – Translated in English and edited by and for Travel France Online – Photo Wikimedia Commons: Header by Albert Guillaume (1873–1942) Public domain
